Beijingers paint the town red with pride

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijingers are painting the town red, proudly displaying the Chinese flag just about anywhere they can ahead of the start of the Olympics on Friday.

The build-up to the Games has been an emotion-filled ride for many here, as the nationalist sentiment set off by riots in Tibet and the ensuing anti-China protests along the international route of the torch relay gave way to the outpouring of generosity prompted by the Sichuan earthquake.

Excitement and anticipation were the order of the day on Tuesday ahead of the torch's arrival in Beijing and the national flags that adorned the front of seemingly every apartment block and most shops were there to prove it.

"The Olympics are a great thing. We definitely have to hang out a flag to show we too love our country," said Ju Huaying, who runs a laundry in central Beijing.

Ju had no problem getting hold of a flag. Her building's management, like that of many apartment blocks, gave her some for the occasion. Her own stands unused in the corner.

Others had to apply a little more ingenuity.

One shopowner affixed a tiny hand-held paper flag out front, in place of a larger cloth one. A man riding an electric-powered bicycle taped one to his basket.

Overall, demand for flags in the capital is currently 30 times normal, according to the Beijing Daily.

That enthusiasm has helped business at Zhang Jing's flag and banner shop in the centre of town, but not as much as she would have liked.

For one, many hawkers have braved the wrath of police to sell flags at busy intersections, undercutting her on price.

"There are so many other people selling them now," Zhang said.

Then there are the big companies that are giving flags away for free as a promotion.

Gas stations of state-run oil giant PetroChina have been handing out car-mountable flags with every purchase of petrol.

Dairy firm and Games sponsor Yili gave away hand-held versions at a supermarket display -- together with another sporting its logo and the slogan, "With me, China is strong!"

Like thousands of other Beijingers for whom car ownership represents a new-found form of personal expression, Ren Zhenhua prefers to do his flag-waving from his windshield.

"You go all over the place in your car, so that way you can do even more promotion," Ren said.

With the Olympics upon them, Beijingers even appear ready to put old grudges behind them.

Asked across a row of traffic where he had bought his flag pronouncing "Go China!", one driver called out "Carrefour" -- the French supermarket chain that bore the brunt of anti-foreigner sentiment in the spring.

(Reporting by Jason Subler; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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