Residents of Games cities give the street-level view of all the changes they have witnessed and what impact, if any, Beijing 2008 has had on them

Yu Chengwei, 32

Farmer, outside Beijing

'Our situation as farmers is hundreds of times better than it used to be, but I don't see how it can be anything to do with the Olympics. The government has stopped all the taxes we used to pay, we can grow whatever crops we want now, and we can sell them at the wholesale market down the road or take them into Beijing. We are all really proud of China. We are so happy to host the Olympics. It's a dream come true. After the Games the venues won't be a waste of money. They will be part of our country's heritage. Every time I go into Beijing, which is about once a month, I hardly recognise it because of the changes. I probably won't go into Beijing during the Games but we will certainly watch them on TV. The whole village will. Even though the Games probably won't affect me personally, they will show our country to the world. And maybe we will sell more during the Games, I don't know, but we are all happy about it. One of the boating events is being held in Shunyi, so perhaps people will come to visit. We are keeping our village clean anyway.'

Wang Yongjin, 50

Recording studio owner, Beijing

'I don't think the massive changes in Beijing can be attributed solely to the Games. What is down to the Games is the speed at which the economy has developed. It would have happened, but it would have happened in 10 or 15 years, as opposed to three to four, as has happened. There's good and bad. As far as planning and architecture goes, it's a bad thing. I don't think the new buildings really go well together. They have been put up too quickly, without any thought of what they're going to be next to. You've got the new CCTV building right next to low-rise, one-storey houses, old and new right next to each other. Also, there is no Chinese character to any of it. The new venues have got nothing to do with Chinese tradition.'