International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge told a newspaper in his native Belgium, De Standaard, the Olympic movement acts as a looking-glass, reflecting a host nation's image, culture, marvels - and flaws - to the world.
'The Games hold up a mirror and shows what is happening,' he said. 'We bring the media to the Games, and I firmly believe the Games have a positive effect.'
This column has over the past 994 days attempted to also act as a speculum, reflecting the big and small issues that have occurred as China prepared for the 29th Olympiad. We have offered vignettes of what has been happening in this beguiling, loveable and crazy Olympic city.
Following the mazy path that Beijing and other host cities have taken to prepare for what many described with what is now a terribly tired cliche, 'China's coming-out party', has been immensely stimulating, wonderful fun, too often frustrating and occasionally bizarre.
The Olympic correspondents have often felt like Alice Through The Looking Glass - walking through the mirror to which Rogge refers, and into a baffling Olympic world. There, the IOC and its often lofty but admirable ideals, meet the propaganda machine of China's Communist-cum-capitalist-Party and its nebulous 'One World, One Dream' mantra, that illusionary goal decorated with Chinese characteristics.
Games organiser Bocog has rather enjoyed peering at its reflection, and has rightly admired itself for its remarkable achievements over the past seven years. Tugging the Olympic cities and their citizens up by the bootstraps to make them fit and proper to receive their international guests has been no easy task.