The countdown has started, and the odyssey is still under way.
With less than 1,000 days to go before the opening of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, the Chinese capital is progressing smoothly towards the destination.
"Preparations are on schedule," said Liu Jingmin, executive vice-president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG).
Contrary to the Greeks' last-minute rush to finish the venues, Beijing had raced ahead with the construction timetable, which prompted International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge last year to ask the Chinese organizers to slow down over concerns of high maintenance cost.
Paying heeds to the IOC's advice, Beijing has slowed its pace and optimized the designs of several venues, including the National Stadium, known as the "Bird's Nest".
The number of its seats has been slashed from 100,000 to 91,000 and the idea of a retractable roof has been given up. The cost of the stadium, which will host the opening and closing ceremonies and athletic events, thus dropped from 3.5 billion yuan (US$437.5 million) to 3.13 billion yuan (US$391.25 million).
The Wukesong Cultural and Sports Complex, which will stage the basketball competition, also saw its vast floor space reduced.
Liu said the changes to the original designs were a result of considerations for the needs of the games and the people.
"Despite the changes, all venues will still meet the needs of the games and the post-games use," said Liu, also a vice mayor of the city.
A total of 37 competition venues will be used for the 2008 Games.Fourteen of them were brand new facilities, 14 were existing structures that were being upgraded, and nine were temporary.
With a total of 20,000 workers being employed at all construction sites, Beijing has started construction on all 11 new venues planned in the city and the renovation work of 14 existing facilities is soon to begin.
The organizers exude with confidence that all the venues would be ready by the end of 2007 for test events.
"They will be able to be used for the test competitions, although some minor finishing touches may still have to be added," said Liu.
In the meantime, a new network of subway lines and roads is gradually taking shape and green space around the city is being expanded.
The IOC was so content with Beijing's preparatory work that they saw nothing but green lights in the build up to the games.
"The Games are green, green and full green," said Hein Verbruggen, head of the IOC's coordination commission, when he wrapped up his second inspection tour of China this year last month.
While Beijing, as the host city, is the center of attention, there are several other cities that are making great efforts to help deliver a "high-level" games.
Qingdao, the sailing venue for the games, is in full swing to transform itself into a "Wonderland of Sailing".
Taking full consideration of how the venue will be used after the games, Qingdao promised to leave an environment-friendly leisure area for the residents and visitors from home and abroad.
"Actually, this marina is built for all the Qingdao citizens rather than only the Olympic Games," said Li Fengli, deputy secretary general of the local organizing committee.
"After the Games, it will serve as a leisure and sports center for all the citizens and also a scenery site for foreign visitors."
Qinghuangdao, Tianjin, Shanghai and Shenyang, co-hosts to the soccer competition, are also working in parallel to fulfill their missions.
Qinghuangdao Olympic Center Stadium, which opened in June last year, is the first venue to be completed for the games, and stadiums in Shanghai and Shenyang are under substantial upgrading. Tianjin started work on its new facility last year.
In what might be a great relief for BOCOG, the International Equestrian Federation (IEF) finally agreed to switch the equestrian events to Hong Kong from Beijing.
The relocation of equestrian venue -- the most radical since 1956 when Stockholm filled in for Melbourne, also for equestrian -- was approved by the IOC in July after lengthy negotiation between BOCOG and the IEF.
Beijing had insisted that moving the events was necessary because of "uncertainties of equine diseases and major difficulties in establishing a disease-free zone".
But the IEF had originally objected to the proposal because it would separate the sport from audiences and competitors in Beijing, about a four-hour flight away.
Hong Kong plans to convert a local park and training center for elite athletes to stage the equestrian event, as well as making use of a country club and part of a golf club.
The IOC's coordination commission also gave a positive assessment of Hong Kong's preparations after a visit to the region this summer.
"We were very impressed by the proposed venues for the equestrian competitions in Hong Kong and the preparatory work there," said Verbruggen.