ABSTRACT
The Olympic Games are regarded as the supreme pinnacle of international athletic competitions. Being entrusted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and recognised by international society as host to the Olympics have come to be recognised as a demonstration of the national power and international status of a country. All host countries have tried to make best use of this international platform both to strengthen and showcase their economic capacities, technological achievements, cultural uniqueness, and national cohesion and to promote communications and interactions among countries, nations and peoples. This paper focuses on the two main areas of Olympic impact: introversive urbanisation and extroversive nation building. The growing phenomenon of globalisation has conjoined these two Olympic effects in enhancing a city’s domestic prosperity and global recognition, image and reputation. Meanwhile, various controversies have also emerged from these Olympic-driven reconstructions and changes as witnessed by their occurrences in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
