A Chinese girl poses with the Olympic and Chinese flags
© AFP Valery Hache

BEIJING (AFP) - A dozen vendors jockey for position outside the venue -- tourists are flocking to get a photo of the striking structure before the Games begin, and the intrepid salesmen don't want to miss a prime opportunity.

One of them is Fan Shibiao, who along with a handful of classmates from the capital's University of Science and Technology manages to secure a shady spot -- highly coveted in the mid-summer Beijing heat.

"We've been here since this morning. I'm hoping to make a bit of money to pay off my school fees," explains the 22-year-old, who is kitted out in full NBA gear.

People buy Chinese and Olympic flags in front of the fence of the National Stadium
© AFP Aamir Qureshi

On offer are the familiar red flags with five yellow stars. A small one sells for one yuan (15 US cents), the larger one goes for twice that.

Fan also has national flags emblazoned with "Long Live China!" -- a slogan that has become a familiar rallying call since the global Olympic torch relay was dogged by protests, primarily over China's crackdown on unrest in Tibet.

Heart-shaped flag stickers reading "China will triumph!" come in every possible size.

As Fan hawks his wares, passers-by continue to snap pictures of the Bird's Nest, named for its interlocking mesh of steel. Many of them are wearing red headbands with one or both of the nationalistic slogans.

China has seen a mounting wave of patriotism since March, fuelled by both the West's criticism of Beijing's response to the riots in Tibet and the anti-China protests along the torch relay in Europe and the United States.

A man walks with Chinese flags attached to his head on Tiananmen Square
© AFP Fabrice Coffrini

Love of country intensified following the devastating earthquake in southwestern China's Sichuan province in May that killed about 70,000 people.

On the eve of the Olympics, flags are flying everywhere in Beijing -- from government buildings, shops, cars, taxis and even bicycles.

Outside the Water Cube, the high-tech aquatic centre where the swimming and diving events will take place, Liu Ye takes in the sights before heading home to northeastern Jilin province.

The 27-year-old student is clearly proud of being Chinese -- he's sporting a red headband and a sticker of the national flag on his cheek.

"This is just my way of showing my support for the Olympics," he says.

Wang Anmin, a businessman from the eastern city of Hefei, says he's "very excited, very happy" to be staying in Beijing for the start of the Games, which run through August 24.

Not only will Wang and three friends see some of the competition in table tennis, China's national sport, but they also have tickets for one of the hotly-anticipated basketball matches of the tournament -- China v Team USA.

But even Wang's patriotism has limits.

As friends take his picture in front of the Water Cube, holding a Chinese flag, he assesses the possibility that Yao Ming's squad could beat the NBA superstars led by LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

"No chance," he says in English.

©AFP