MovingStill | Beijing | 3

MovingStill | Beijing | 2

MovingStill | Beijing | 1

Working the Crowds

At the last day of the Olympic Games, the volunteers showed their best side. Working the crowds at the closing ceremony was their final job. There were several items for the public to use: little drums, two kinds of flags and an electric torch.

While most people did their best to participate, others had their own priority's.



These are the final photo's made for the "Olympic Volunteer" series. To see all photo's watch the slide show.

Final Tickets

Although strictly forbidden, there is a 'lively' market for selling tickets.
Behind subway station Beitucheng, where the train leaves for the Olympic Green, the sellers are sitting in the shade trying to make some money. Tickets for the handball finals go around for only €75,- while they normally cost €30,-.


This is the last photo made for the "Beijing During the Olympics" series. To see all photo's watch the slide show.

A Day Out to the Green

While the volunteers were keeping guard at the National Indoor Stadium, others enjoyed their day off.

Keep on Smiling

Watching the Games

Never too Hot to Cheer

"Jia You, Jia You!!" it echo's around the stadium. There are 200.000 volunteers who are in official cheering teams. They get free tickets to games where there are seats available.

Literally 'jia you' means 'add oil' and can be translated into 'go on'.

This group of 'cheering volunteers' are students of the General University of Nationalities and have had proper training of how to cheer and use the inflatable clappingsticks.

Information Station

To make sure everybody is getting to the place of their destination, 550 'volunteer stations' are placed around the city. The 400.000 'city volunteers' will be happy to inform anybody with questions.

Like normally, this volunteer-operation is fully directed end controlled by the state. The number of people helped, working hours and to witch media is spoken; everything will be carefully registered in the log.

The Eyes of the Streets

In almost every street you can see them watching the time go by. The 'social volunteers' are with many. A total of 1.000.000 sits in the streets, points directions and most importantly keeps an eye out for troublemakers.

Where to Go?

Access Control

In the National Stadium, Jiao Bo stands, as one of the 100.000 'venue volunteers', near one of the many doors with limited access. His job is to check the license of those who want to enter.
In the meantime he kills time by studying the games schedule and the map of 'the birds nest', so he also can inform it's visitors.

Just a Rainy Day

Chinese Logistics

At gate 1 stood a line of 20 meters. Slowly each bus is getting filled, until there are no more seats left. To get a seat people waited for over 1 hour and after takeoff the bus drove 800 meters to gate 2 where the same amount of people were waiting.

And again one bus at the time opened their doors to fill up the aisle until the bus was totally full. Result; a line of half full buses and a line of people who were not amused.

The First Charter of Human Rights

by Cyrus, The Great Founder of The First Persian Empire;

Now that I am the monarch, I will impose my monarchy on no nation. Each is free to accept it, and if any one of them rejects it, I never resolve on war to reign. I will never let anyone take possession of the properties of others by force. Until I am alive, I prevent unpaid, forced labour. I announce that everyone is free to chose a religion. No one could be penalized for his or her relatives' faults.


As an Olympic Peace Messenger, Majid Charkhasht traveled for four months one horseback from Iran to China to deliver this message to the Olympic Committee.

Not Everybody is into Sports

Many Students are Volunteering

Pu Rong is one of the 100.000 venue volunteers that makes the Olympic experience in Beijing so special. Standing at a big square, near the gate of the rowing tracks, she awaits the questions of visitors. Although not many peolple speak to hear.

She studying at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology with a major in English. The fact that this job is without payment, is no problem to her, as she feels honored to be apart of this event; "Make happy feeling to others, makes me feel happy too".

Let the Games Begin

At 08:08 pm the Olympic Games are officially opened with a big show. While most people watched the ceremony at home or in one of the many restaurant, the 'social volunteers' found their own spot to watch tv.

No Flame in Sight

The gathering of many people to see the Olympic Torch coming trough Beijing ended up with a disappointment for some. To secure the safety the police force kept people at a far distance of the flame.

A place along the route was only for those who belong to certain company's or clubs. At 04:00 am they gathered to go trough the safety check. After that they were directed to there specific places. The Torch Relay started at 08:00 am.