The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is intended to show a positive image of China to the world. It is also the duty of all Chinese people to help host a successful Games.

This did not happen the day when the Olympic torch relay passed through Guangzhou, where some local bystanders acted discourteously -- a form of conduct that should be avoided as the torch marches to other provinces in the country.

In the early morning hours (in May 7), people crowded Guangzhou subway station like never before. Although it was busy, everyone was in high spirits as they were expecting to soon see the torch relay. Yingyuan Road, near the subway, was especially busy.

By 10 am the torchbearers had still not arrived and some local residents were getting restless. Some laid newspapers on the ground to sit on as they waited, others chatted with friends.

As the torch approached, a number of welcoming activities were staged. The people stood up to greet the runners but few bothered to collect their newspaper floor mats. This meant that, when the torchbearers passed, they had to run by a virtual sea of trash including plastic bottles, leaflets and even discarded national flags, which appeared unpleasant and offensive to the eye.

The Olympic torch relay functions as a window to show China's image overseas. Many foreign visitors were in the crowd taking pictures of the relay. Fortunately, there were a lot of sanitation workers along the relay route who swept away the garbage left behind by the passionate crowd.

The Guangzhou leg of the torch relay was still successful, however. As we celebrate their success, we should further improve the shortcomings noted that day. For those cities ready to welcome the Olympic flame, their local governments are no doubt hoping that citizens remember to mind their manners at the site of the relay.

The 2008 Olympic Games is also a test of how courteous Chinese people can be. We should not fail this simplest of tests.

Xueyuan Xinyue

http://club.sohu.com/

(China Daily 05/16/2008 page15)