The 2008 Summer Olympics ( 2008年夏季奥运会 ), officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, will be held in Beijing in the People's Republic of China from August 8, 2008 to August 24, 2008, with the opening ceremony to take place at 8 p.m. on August 8, 2008. Beijing was elected host city on July 13, 2001, during the 112th IOC Session in Moscow, beating out Toronto, Paris, Istanbul and Osaka. Prior to the session, five other cities submitted bids to the IOC but failed to make the shortlist in 2000: Bangkok, Cairo, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and Seville.

The 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay will achieve a world record as the Olympic flame will be carried up to Mount Everest - known by the Tibetan (and Chinese) people as Chomolangma ( 珠穆朗玛峰 ) - the world's highest peak. It will be carried up the southern slope from Nepal before carried down the northern slope into Tibet, and will be the highest altitude achieved in the history of Olympic torch relays, to be accomplished by eighty specially trained mountaineers. Liu Qi, president of the 2008 Olympics organizing committee, has also expressed the wish that the torch relay be carried through Taiwan. The overall course of the torch relay will take the Olympic flame from Athens through the Himalaya to Beijing and will be sponsored by soft drink giant, The Coca-Cola Company.

Construction of all 2008 Summer Olympics venues is expected to be completed in 2007. The government intends to invest in thirty-seven new gymnasiums and stadiums as well as fifty-nine training centers. Its largest architectural pieces are the Beijing National Stadium, National Gymnasium, Olympic Aquatic Park, Convention Center, Olympic Village and Wukesong Cultural and SportsCenter. US$2.1 billion or RMB¥17.4 billion in corporate bids and tenders are expected to fund almost 85 percent of the construction budget for the six main venues. Investments are expected from corporations seeking ownership rights after the 2008 Summer Olympics. Some venues will be owned and governed by the State General Administration of Sports which will use them after the Olympics as facilities for all future national sports teams.

The centerpiece of the 2008 Summer Olympics is the construction of the Beijing National Stadium which began on December 24, 2003. Government officials engaged architects worldwide in a design competition. The National Stadium will feature lattice-like concrete skeleton forming the stadium bowl which will seat 80,000 people. Architects originally described the overall design as resembling a bird's nest with an immense ocular — an opening with retractable roof over the stadium.

The 2008 Summer Olympics emblem entitled "Dancing Beijing" was unveiled in August 2003 in a ceremony attended by 2,008 people at Qi Nian Dian ( 祈年殿 ) - the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in Beijing's Temple of Heaven ( 天坛 ). The emblem combines elements of traditional Chinese society — a red seal and a calligraphic word for jing ( 京 ) ("national capital") with athletic features. According to the International Olympic Committee, the emblem is the first of the modern Olympics to use red as the dominant colour, an important colour for the Chinese people throughout its history. The open arms of the calligraphic word symbolizes the invitation of China to the world to share in its culture.

Rogge delivered an address at the unveiling ceremony saying, "Your new emblem immediately conveys the awesome beauty and power of China which are embodied in your heritage and your people." Rogge continued, "In this emblem, I saw the promise and potential of a New Beijing and a Great Olympics. This is a milestone in the history of your Olympic quest. As this new emblem becomes known around the world — and as it takes its place at the center of your Games — we are confident that it will achieve the stature of one of the best and most meaningful symbols in Olympic history."

The Friendlies ( 福娃 ) were unveiled as the mascots of the games by the National Society of Chinese Classic Literature Studies on November 11, 2005 at an event marking the 1000th day before the opening of the games.

The friendlies consists of five members: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. The five mascots incorporate fish, giant panda, fire, Tibetan antelope, and swallow designs respectively, and each also represents one of the five Olympic Rings. When the five names are put together, they form a pun on the phrase  北京欢迎你 which means "Beijing welcomes you".