Dashan and the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

As the Beijing Olympics approach, the world's attention is focused on China to an unprecedented degree. In Beijing 2008, it's East-meets-West like never before and Dashan is right in the middle of it all.

Since Beijing was awarded the Olympic Games in 2001, Dashan has hosted numerous Olympic-related programs for Beijing TV as well as China Central TV, including "To 2008", "Olympic English", "Sports Chinese" and special programs to mark significant milestones during the countdown to the Games.
(Watch samples of these programs on YouTube: Olympic English | Sports Chinese)

In 2006, Dashan was appointed Canadian Team Attaché for the 2008 Olympic Games. As Team Attaché, Dashan is responsible for facilitating cooperation between Team Canada and the various local groups and individuals in Beijing as well as assisting with team operations during the Games. Being Team Attaché also means that Dashan will march into the Olympic Stadium with Team Canada during the official opening ceremonies. (Watch an interview about Dashan's role as Canadian Team Attaché on YouTube.)

Dashan is also serving as Goodwill Ambassador for the BC Canada Pavilion in Beijing. The Pavilion, located in the Beijing Planning and Exhibition Hall near Tiananmen Square, is expected to greet 400,000 visitors during the summer months and will act as a platform for B.C. and Canada to present themselves to China and the world.

Dashan is also serving as the goodwill ambassador for a volunteer program that is bringing English language education to local communities in the Beijing region as they prepare to host the Olympic Games.

On July 26, Dashan ran a section of the Olympic torch relay in the city of Kaifeng, Henan province. Sponsored for this role by Lenovo, Dashan's participation was, in part, to honour the memory of his grandparents who lived in Henan during the early 1920s, working at a hospital that had been established with donations from Canada.