bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Jeremy Blum

Images of the terrible accommodations that Sochi Winter Olympics journalists have had to endure are trending on Sina Weibo.
Showing dirty canteen food, spartan hotel rooms and bathrooms with sinks that spout yellow-coloured water, the images have already gone viral on Twitter.
Western journalists have been quick to use the pictures as a platform to criticise what some have perceived as poor planning of this year’s Winter Olympics.


Chinese netizens had a slightly different take on the situation.
“After seeing these pictures, I feel like the living conditions in China aren’t so bad after all!” one Weibo commentator exclaimed, pointing out that shabby hotel rooms and poor canteen food are the norm in many underdeveloped regions of the mainland.
“They spent over 50 billion US dollars on planning these Olympics?” another netizen wrote. “I wonder where all that money went, because from the looks of things, they contracted a Chinese company to build all the hotel rooms!”
Other microbloggers were less sarcastic, and argued that difficult living conditions are the norm when travelling to foreign countries.

“Really, these people ought to adapt to other cultures, because you can’t flush toilet paper in a lot of countries in the world,” one blogger wrote in response to a tweet from Greg Wyshynski, an American sports writer who posted a picture of a Sochi hotel bathroom sign that requested guests to dispose of toilet paper in the rubbish bin.
Despite this criticism and plenty of comparisons between Sochi and China, one Weibo blogger pointed out a key difference.
“At least these people can actually use Twitter from where they are.”


'Looks just like China' - Chinese netizens comment on Sochi hotels

Insects in food and broken door knobs have only been some of the problems facing journalists staying in Sochi hotels for the Olympics. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Many hotel rooms are extremely spartan, with broken bathroom facilities. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Poor internet connections and urinals without pipes have been revealed via Twitter photos. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Greg Wyshynsk's tweet about toilet paper. Photo: Screenshot via Sina Weibo

No lights, dusty and filled with stray dogs: Media and families arrive to Sochi hotel horrors

A worker cuts stone in front of accommodation for the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Photo: AP

Hotels and shops at the Rosa Khutor hotel complex in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. Photo: AP

Yellow water from a bathroom faucet at a hotel in Sochi, Russia. Photo: MCT

Construction workers are seen at a hotel in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. Photo: EPA

Plastic-covered items are seen in the bar area of an unfinished hotel in the village of Esto Sadok at the Rosa Khutor alpine resort near Sochi. Photo: Reuters

Dmitry Kozak (left), who is overseeing Sochi preparations, (pictured next to Russian President Vladimir Putin) claims all the hotels for the Games are 'built and ready'. Photo: AP

A broken curtain rail is seen at a hotel room in Sochi, Russia. Photo: Screenshot via Twitter

Sochi Winter Olympics begin with Putin trying to refute critics

Fireworks light up the sky during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Photo: AP

A military choir performs during the opening ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi. Photo: AFP

President Xi Jinping meets Chinese athletes in Sochi. Photo: Xinhua

Russian security personnel dressed in Olympic track suits arrive for duty ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Photo: AP

Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks at IOC President’s Gala Dinner in Sochi on the eve of the Olympic Winter Games opening ceremony. Photo: AFP

IOC president  Thomas Bach speaks at a press conference at the Olympic Park in Sochi. Photo: EPA

Russian policemen patrol one of the entrances to the Fisht Olympic Stadium where the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics will be held. Photo: AP

Heng's view

Performance at the opening ceremony. Photo: Xinhua

Fireworks during the opening ceremony. Photo: Xinhua

Embattled Putin gives ‘good friend’ Xi Jinping a warm welcome in Sochi

Russian President Vladimir Putin (welcomes Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping during their meeting in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi. Photo: AFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Sochi, Russia. Photo: Xinhua

News

China Insider

Images of horrid hotel conditions in Sochi have hit the Chinese internet
