In a few months we will be there ­?the start of the big event, four years since Istanbul. All eyes will be on China this summer for the ISPRS Congress! With record numbers of more than 2,600 abstracts and 3,500 participants, this congress will be an unforgettable one. But those attending the Congress will certainly also be very aware of the Olympic Games. The congress centre is just across the road from the Olympic stadium, and the Chinese will have Beijing ready for the Congress (sorry, Games) by the beginning of July. There is no doubt about that.

Host Beijing has made developmental progress at an unprecedented pace over the past four years. We are seeing an almost ‘brand-new’ Beijing emerging from its traditional charming environment, one with perhaps the greatest variety of architectural masterpieces of all world mega-cities. New motorways, roads, city rail-links, fast inter-city railway lines and airport terminals are appearing all the time. In Beijing, even the most experienced taxi driver sometimes gets lost nowadays, because there are just too many new roads and places!

In the new Beijing, your gaze will frequently be arrested by the great diversity of ancient and modern landmarks that in the language of architecture tell you the story of the city’s history, culture and modern life. Ultra-modern architecture blends beautifully with the most well-known historical landmarks, such as the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven. There is the new National Grand Theatre (‘The Egg’), National Stadium (‘Bird’s Nest’), the National Swimming Centre (‘Water Cube’) and the unimaginable ‘Z criss-cross’ CCTV headquarters edifice.