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The legacy of the 2008 Beijing Olympics is not just embodied by the concrete structures built for the event, but is also reflected in the rising number of volunteers across China.
Walking into offices, conference halls, and hotels during the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Meeting in Beijing, the volunteers' warm smiles and attentive service are reminiscent of the widely acclaimed volunteers at the 2008 Games.
"They (the volunteers at the APEC media center) are always ready to offer help, no matter what you need. Their hospitality and skills are really impressive and remind me of the experience of working during the 2008 Olympics," said K.J.M. Varma, China correspondent of the Press Trust of India, who covered the 2008 Games.
Fired by a passion to serve the 2008 Olympics, the Chinese public embraced a spirit of dedication, friendship, mutual help, and respect. That generation has now started to pass on the baton to younger enthusiasts.
Ren Wei, chief training officer of the volunteers for the APEC meetings who also served on the management team for volunteers in 2008, said an increasing number of college students are willing to serve as volunteers at major events. They value the experience, which often takes pride of place on their resumes.
"The bar (for APEC volunteers) was set really high, but we still received more than enough applications. The young people are really involved," Ren said.
More than 2,280 volunteers in 37 different fields have helped at the APEC meetings. That's far more than the 25 categories during the 2008 Olympics, Ren added.
Some of the 2008 volunteers have used the skills they were taught in other parts of the world. Six of the nine Chinese volunteers on hand at the 2012 London Olympics were veterans of the Beijing Games. Meanwhile, 13 veterans of the 2008 Games traveled to the Sochi Winter Olympics earlier this year to offer their services as translators, assistants to members of the International Olympic Committee, and medical team assistants.
Wang Lei, the leader of the Chinese volunteers in Sochi, hailed the 2008 event as an enlightening experience.
"Training and serving at the Beijing Olympic Games taught me that you need more than a warm heart to offer help to others. Being a volunteer requires a professional attitude, all-around knowledge, and good communication skills. Those things have really been advantages for me in my life and career," the petrochemical engineer said. "Helping others is also a process of self-improvement. I would definitely be willing to serve as a volunteer at other major events."
Zhang Nan, an official with the Beijing Volunteer Federation, said that after the success of the Nanjing Youth Olympics in August, and in light of Beijing's joint bid with Zhangjiakou for the 2022 Winter Olympics, the volunteer virtues will endure for a long time and influence many future generations of Chinese people.
