Reused and reimagined: Beijing’s Olympic architecture

“The dazzling landmarks in Beijing, including the Bird’s Nest, were built upon the sweat and toil of millions of migrant workers from rural areas in China,” said Yaqiu Wang, a senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch. “They work for low wages, endure workplace safety hazards.”

She added that “while the facilities look state-of-the-art and dazzling, people in China don’t have a say in deciding what to be built, how to build them or how much money to spend, and criticism towards the government concerning these projects is silenced.”