In the eyes of experts, Olympic colors are represented in the chains of the Olympic Games, including: buildings, environment, city image, facilities, advertisements, shops, people's clothes and even the colors of autos.

Olympic colors should be expressive as to show the lofty aspiration of a nation and enthusiasm of mankind.

On the colors for Beijing Olympic Games and for the city itself, correspondent of the People's Daily had an interviewed with experts.

Correspondent: What colors should be selected for Beijing Olympic Games? In what way can the aesthetic judgment on colors of the Chinese nation be brought out?

Xing Xuhuan (researcher in aesthetics at China Art Institute):

As Olympic Games is one of the most popular activities of human beings, the colors must be able to stimulate visually the upward, active and endeavoring spirit of a nation and fervency of mankind. Therefore, it can offer people an impression of profundity, loftiness, joy and magnanimity instead of depressed, languid and gray mood to suggest a negative impression. The choice of Olympic colors should both embody the excellent and profound national tradition of the Chinese culture, highlighting the country's image -- vitality, and symbolizing the spirit: unity of the people of all over the world, peace, dialogue and creating a new century hand-in-hand. Moreover, they should be able to suggest a higher, swifter and stronger sports spirit. Correspondent: Specifically speaking what are the colors to be applied and in what way?

Chang Shana (former head of Central Academy of Arts and Design, (which is now part of Tsinghua University):

To put it in general, the colors of Beijing Olympics are the green, blue and red. Beijing put forward "Green Olympics, Science Olympics and Humane-culture Olympics" and the emblem is again red. I imagine the main tone of Beijing Olympics should be green and blue to highlight the red emblem.

Green symbolizes life and environmental protection; blue symbolizes the idea of scientific and technological Olympics and red human culture Olympics, warmth and jubilance. Different tones can be shown in different circumstances with different materials. Buildings and sceneries covering a large area may be mainly green and blue, and other venues, streets and flags may be adjacent colors to achieve the colorfulness" as long as they accord with the main tone. Red is not proper for a main tone since the Olympics are going to be held in the sweltering summer of Beijing, or the heating visualization will aggravate the hot and impatient feeling, thus leading to tiredness or agitation.

Organizers should be urged to study on colors for Beijing Olympic Games and formulate directory for Beijing's city colors.

Correspondent: City color construction seems not to be an easy job. Does it involve a lot of work.

Song Jianming (vice president of China Art Academy):

"Olympics" has long gong beyond the boundary of international competitions in the general sense. It mirrors the level of economy, civilization, and ability of innovation. Olympic colors are a huge systematic project of renovation, design and implementation.

What deserves our attention is that the previous practice in China was always like this, namely, not enough time was left for deliberation. It takes at least one year for such a metro as Beijing to complete investigation, planning and design, and two years or even longer time for the renovation though it's not too late for the systematic research on colors to start now.

Correspondent: Who are supposed to take part in the planning and design?

Song Jianming: A department composed by experienced professionals may be formed, along with the overall renovation plan of Beijing municipality, to draft a "city color directory". It should be taken as a set of operational system for images rather than a mere description in writing. Attention should be paid to creating a "basic color environment" and an "environment of activating colors".

Cultural characteristics of Beijing should be put on the evolution of an ancient city into a modernized one though planning so that traditional national spirit and culture can be carried on. Under this prerequisite, each district in Beijing can have its own special features. In addition, as for "environment of activating color", a panel under the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG) should be formed, better with international experts, to plan and design the activities of Olympic Games from the perspective of color design technique.

Beijing's main tone should be gray with other decorative bright colors

Correspondent: It is the main tone of a city that gives the most immediate feeling to visitors. Is there any shortcut for the city color construction in Beijing? Is there any reference?

Cui Wei (associate professor at Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology):

Of course. I visited almost 20 European cities and I felt that Salzburg of Austria, Amsterdam of Netherlands, Cologne of Germany and Paris of France are valuable references for Beijing. These are also ancient cities Like Beijing. For example, the city buildings in Salzburg all wear pinkish green, red, blue, purple, orange and light gray. These beautiful but not aggressive colors not only decorate the city into perfect purity and beauty but also endow the brilliant imagination of the people with wings of music.

Correspondent: Whether should Beijing be given more than one color to make it look like those cities?

Cui Wei: Not exactly. Beijing has its own specialties although it can borrow some experiences from them. Beijing should continue to carry out the regulations on tidying the outer elevation of city buildings issued by Beijing municipal government in 2000 and use mixed colors with gray as the main theme. In other words, make the gray as the main tone of the city color but with other colors to serve as a foil of the color system.

Reasons are as follows: first, gray is close to Beijing's color tradition, the "grey brick, tile and stone" the most immediate color impression of old residence in Beijing. Second, the "red wall and yellow tile" with the Forbidden City as a representative can be mirrored holier and more magnificent against gray. And third, proper use of gray can also add a rich modern tempo to Beijing.

Nevertheless, gray is merely a concept of color. In color theory, gray constitutes a stream of variation from dark to light instead of a dull gray.

Based on this, users of buildings can choose decorative colors based on the function of the buildings and the spectrum as stipulated in the city color directory. In this way, Beijing's city colors can, based on the city traditional color on the one hand, be ingeniously extended to satisfy the fascination of Beijing people by choosing some other colors to serve as foil. And on the other, assorted colors can also play up fully the fashionable and commercial atmosphere of the metropolis.

By People's Daily Online