And Olympic venues are free of the advertisements that encircle other sporting arenas.

ECONOMIST: A survey of the business of sport

It is one thing to build dams and Olympic venues to proper standards, but with so many other buildings collapsing particular scrutiny may fall on China's system for setting and enforcing construction codes in earthquake-prone zones such as Sichuan.

ECONOMIST: China

Part two focuses on the Games' legacy and on the construction of five permanent sporting venues - the Olympic stadium, aquatics centre, velo park, handball arena and Eton Manor - and three other temporary venues.

BBC: 2012 Olympic master plan revealed

As for other sporting venues, the Olympic Green Tennis Centre is now used by the Chinese Tennis Association, and several other sports centres are used by universities.

BBC: Touring the cities of Olympics past