Welcome to Beijing Olympic countdown. This is Stephen. There are now 36 days to go before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Torch Relay held in Yangling and Xianyang
The Beijing Olympic Torch relay continued in Yangling and Xianyang in northwest China's Shaanxi province today. Yangling, with an area of 22.12 square km, stands between Taibai Mountain and Zhouyuan Plain, while Xianyang is an ancient historical capital. 20,088 butterflies were released in Yangling to mark the special occasion.

(Photo from Xinhua)

(Photo by sina.com.cn)

UN Chief Visits Bird's Nest
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited China's National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, in Beijing yesterday (July 2) during a three-day official visit to China at the invitation of the Chinese government. He praised the project, which will hold the Olympic opening ceremony on August 8, 2008. Ban said, with such excellent venues, facilities and orderly organizational work, the Beijing Games will be the most successful Olympics.

(Photo from Xinhua)

IOC: Anti-doping effort at Beijing Olympics to be more Extensive than Ever
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Wednesday that the anti-doping effort at the Beijing Summer Games will be more extensive than ever. According to a statement, more than 4,500 tests will be administered, 25 percent more than were conducted in the 2004 Games in Athens and 90 percent more than the number of tests in Sydney in 2000.