From a cultural perspective, one outstanding achievement of the Beijing Olympics is that it highlighted the basic values of the Chinese people and demonstrated China's moral power, a leading Chinese-American philosopher said.
"The concept of harmony is the core value of the Chinese culture from the very beginning and China's ultimate goal is to help build a world of harmony," Chung-ying Cheng, a professor at the University of Hawaii and a leading figure of the Neo-Confucianism, told Xinhua in a recent telephone interview.
"The Beijing Olympics not only highlighted the traditional value, but also added a modern touch to it," he said.
In all, the Games has exhibited the spirit, culture and basic values of China and symbolized the Chinese people's embracing of the world, and their love for the culture and the human race, Cheng added.
In his opinion, during the Beijing Olympics, China also displayed its respect for other cultures and its emphasis on modern technology.
"It was a wonderful combination of modernity and tradition. It gave the world an impression that China is modern and even futurist. And at the same time, China deeply respects culture and essence of people, and the value of life," he said.
Cheng also observed that hosting a successful Olympics has enhanced the self-confidence of the Chinese people.
"The Chinese people are very friendly and they are very good at planning and creating a superb sports environment. The Chinese people emerged with more self-confidence from the Games and it also ushered in a new relationship between China and the rest of the world. That is: China is coming to the world and the world is also coming to China," said the professor.