The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Kathy Marshall - Los Angeles, CA — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:35:00 GMT

it's sad, but doesn't surprise me. thank u for sharing this story to put a more human face on the Olympics. It's easy to get carried away praising the spectacular result of the Olympic Opening Ceremony and it's beautiful venues...and the amazing growth of China without realizing who is really doing the hard work. The workers. The common people...Hopefully, China's humanity will catch up to it's progress and there will be protection for the treatment of it's people.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

arthur,toronto,canada — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:21:37 GMT

Thank you Mark - a great post - though I don't have to read it all. Glad someone paid attention to those migrant workers - hope something can be done for them.

china is developing very fast - my wift went back this year - she told me that in just 6 years - she can't even recoganize the city she lived for 4 years.
all built by migrant workers. the skyline is shockingly modern - a sharp contrast with toronto.

with that said - at what a price to those migrant workers? even though they got a much better pay than before - but they are being ignored for too long and
they are having too much hardships.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Jenny Peterson, Salt Lake City, Utah — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:25:54 GMT

This is a beautiful story. Thank you for showing us one of the real faces of the Olympics instead of what they want us to see. Excellent job, thank you.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Rainwater — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:36:47 GMT

Many of the workers work at least six days a week and have little to no health benefits or legal protection if a bad boss cheats them. Geez, sounds just like those undocumented workers who work in Tyson chicken factories, Joe Sixpack slaughter houses and Napa grape farms in the U.S.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Shrugging Atlas, Galts Gulch, CO — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:37:02 GMT

"Hurry up and build this building at 15 dollars a day! Now that you're done, get out of the city so the world doesn't see what a despicable bunch of people we are!" This really makes it even worse that the Olympics are being held in this pseudo-capitilast, communist-in- sheep's-clothing sham of a country. It is sickening that the entire world is validating the government that allows this kind of thing to take place.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

D.Cummings, Charlottesville, VA — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:54:23 GMT

Great Story Mark!
Let us all be appreciative of the comforts we enjoy in this land.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Kelly, CA — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:38:01 GMT

Thank you for this story. I am deeply touched. Wish the best for Zhang and his family

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

supersaint — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:54:45 GMT

Mark Mullen,

So did USofA thank the Chinese imigrant workers whom they forcibly taken to work in mine land for the prosperity of your country hundred years ago? Do you thank also the Chinese for giving you cheap products you are enjoying now at your home with a fraction of what you would get otherwise? did you not forget to thank them as well?

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

R. Schreiber — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:25:23 GMT

Great in depth comment about a working person's life. When one thinks of the values that such a person has and his will to maintain his aim of wanting more for his children, one can only be ashamed of the false narcissism that epitomizes the Olympic games themselves under the guise of pushing the human envelope. Individuals and countries distract themselves from the great inequities in the world and the possibility of finding their deeper purpose in life through fascination with sports events and other sleep inducing activities until some individuals approach old age and wonder how their lives might have been better spent. Advertising, television, and newspapers have created a situation where we are hypnotized into feeling that true enjoyment comes from watching people hit, push, or throw a ball around, or swim and dive in the water. Of course one must recognize that such activity is undoubtedly better than engaging in war which itself is just another distraction at a national level from coming to grips with living a really useful life.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Russell, Yokohama, Japan — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:01:22 GMT

Very good article. I like such an article as this because it shows the strength and fortitude of the workers who work these everyday thankless jobs. There are a lot of similar stories to this in the U.S.(migrant workers from Mexico and Central America) and I hope those get more coverage in the future as well because some working conditions in the U.S. might surprise you as perhaps being even tougher than in China(in different ways of course). Top notch again, and cheers!

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Jay, San Diego, CA — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:31:54 GMT

I think this story rings true on so many levels. The US is filled with droves of migrant workers coming from Mexico but this issue is largely ignored. The working conditions of these migrant workers (whether documented or undocumented) are not that far off from those in China. It's a shame that we turn a blind eye to everyday events happening right under our noses.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Guillermo Hurtado — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:53:07 GMT

Thanks mark for the article and want to echo Russell,lots of those storties are happening in U.S.When I was reading your article tears were shed thru my eyes you were not only telling Zhang's live you were telliing in somedetails my story ;in common area as been migrant from mexico that had been building nice houses and not able to buy one and always enduring the moral to keep going dispite any hardship in any forms.Thanks again !!!!!

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Garrison — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:05:23 GMT

We could unionize the workers, as we require here in the United States, and because of the cost and red tape the Birdsnest and other such great structures could never be built. We need these "disadvantage" people to make great things.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Zeena,England — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:20:15 GMT

Excellant article,It is great that the youth of today are all participating together and enjoying what they have trained so hard for,but.
There are millions of Chinese who don't even know that the Olympic games are taking place in their homeland.Beijing may have been a great spectacle to watch,I don't know as I didn't see it..my choice..
China is made up of 'invisble people',the regime will never change,the country is getting richer by the day on the backs of these poor people and the awful truth is there is not a lot we can do to change the situation.We can refuse to buy their pruducts ,but it will be only the poor 'invisibles' who will suffer yet again.Very,very sad situation.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Joe, Mpls — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:29:10 GMT

Shrugging Atlas, Galts Gulch, CO : just to let you know or remind you. We help them everyday. We buy their products. We have given them "Most Favored Nation" status. Yet we don't treat our workds much better. Yes, our workers don't live like they do but it is not that far off. Look at the conditions of that country. It is our fault for all of this. We ship our factories there because they don't have labor protections or pollution protections.
Yes, it is great that we are able to employ so many but look at the cost of doing so. It is good to put a name to what was done and this is a very good article. Remember folks, we are not that far away from the same thing. I beleive that we are actually heading to that direction.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

wong hua, san francisco — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:33:01 GMT

Did you ask Zhang if he (and other workers)was proud
of his products, i.e. beautiful building for his homeland? Did you ask him if he was proud of his wife who look after the family while he was gone? Did you ask him if he rather take this hardship job instead of staing in his village and be dirt poor for him & his family? It is his choice to work hard for the future of his children. Have you figured how many Asian migrant workers are building Dubai?

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

No feelings, MN — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:45:23 GMT

Guillermo Hurtado, were you here legally? (just for argument sake) Then you have no rights if you were not. Why should you get the same protections that I do? I barely have any rights in this country at all and I am a citizen. Yes, you could work cheaper but by you working cheaper drives down what I could make and need to live on. You have no idea how hard it is for a legal person here to live as for services that you do use I have to pay for as well. You are costing me money by driving down pay. I have to work 2 jobs just to get by. If people like you were here legally then I would be able to get better pay. Yes, I wouldn't do some of those jobs. I can't because the pay sucks and I have physical limitaions. But that doesn't mean that someone that is here legally shouldn't be able to get those same jobs. I have been around works sights to know that the illgals do work at getting rid of the legal workers so they can get their friend and other family here, who are more than likely illegal. So, I have little to no sympathy for you or any illegal in this country. You broke the law so that is the price you must pay. If you came here legally then you deserve the rights and protections of our laws. There are many people that would love to come to this country to work but to do it legally most have to wait for 3 years just to get a green card, which you more than likely got illegally. So, you coming here illegally makes it harder on those that want to come here legally to work. So, again I do not shed tears for your plight. I'm sorry. I shed tears for those that were legal, like this man. I feel bad for him. He deserves to have been treated right. He was working legally in his country. I wish him and his family well. But I do believe that people should be treated humanely. No body deserves to be beaten or have to live in trash. I don't care legal or illegal. They deserve the right to be treated like a human. But if illegal then they don't deserve full protection of the laws because they already broke them and shouldn't be here. Like if a sign says, no tresspassing. You get hurt, then don't sue the owner. You were told you are not to be there.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Ralston — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:09:39 GMT

Great story. It's kind of sad though because in many ways average Americans are slowly falling into similar situations of not being able to go into the buildings we build these days. Anyway, a nice story many of us can relate to.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Dawn S, Woodstock, IL — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:26:27 GMT

So many notes comparing These native Chinese working men with the illegal immigrants in the USA. So is it supposed to be okay to go somewhere, enter the country illegally, (and yes, work as hard as you can for as much as you can,) and bring it all home so you and yours can live like a king for awhile, then do it all over again (remember, illegally)when you run out of money? Why not just do it legally? Why risk dying by Coyote? Back on topic, Chinese workers on this venue are working for a higher purpose, just like so many others in this world. Let's just hope that one by one, the people going into working for the government remember their own parent's hardships, and apply compassion in their own work. A hundred years ago, even the most democratic government didn't have the protections in place that are there now. It all takes time. And compassion.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Moz, Toronto — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:27:03 GMT

Great story!. This is a typical story of migrant workers from the far east who work in the Arabian Gulf where I worked for many years. The main difference is that the workers do not get to go home for two years, work 12 hour days, 6 day weeks, have no medical insurance or coverage with lots of cases abuse and sometimes no pay for months. If they complain or attempt to strike, they get jailed and deported.

Sad but true in this world of ours.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

BM — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:27:10 GMT

Reminds me of slavery in America. The difference being the slaves were't told to leave, they were simply killed.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Zhang Fan, China — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:43:28 GMT

It's a sad situation, but you need to know, in the past three decades, over a half billion peasants getting rid of this situation. And hopefully at the incoming decades, most of the remains peasants will be 'visible' too.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Bob Orlando, Florida — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:55:26 GMT

It's amazing what Mr Zhang has to go through. Even though it's a heartfelt story, it also reminds me that in every country there are the have's and have nots.
There are doers, and worker bees, so that they can raise there expectations and lives up like many of us do.
Let's not judge China and our country for what has happened in past, most of us have crawled out of the depths to get where we are today.
Let's not cry about everything wrong in the world, just remember to not forget where YOU CAME FROM.

And quit crying and make the world around you better, this is exactly what Mr. Zhang is doing for his family.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Gumby, Antioch, CA — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:13:20 GMT

Can you imagine four of each equivalent cities in our country? 4 New york, 4 Chicago, 4 Los Angeles, 4 Houston, 4 Atlanta, 4 Phoenix, 4 of your hometown, 4 of all small towns are in China. Those migrant workers are damn lucky to have jobs... It is amazing how China manages its population of 1.3 billion as compared as our 300 million spoiled Americans... Now we preached human rights to China , duh? They are trying countless times harder than us... They are getting there, I hope with all the goodies we take for granted here in America. It is called the Long March, what else?

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

veljko radojevic orlando florida — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:33:13 GMT

this is a beatutiful stori! thank you,mark & your crew! serbian

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

W, Beijing, China — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:34:54 GMT

It's really interesting that people view thing differently. why so many people complained of the chinese government for the beautiful Olympic games as it's the government's fault that so many immigrant workers cannot watch the games? You only imagine that $15/day pay is poor, but do you know we chinese can live a day life with $1 if one cooks for himself?
Some workers moved out of the city because there is no more work for them to do in the city. is it the government's fault?
I really appreciate the immigrant workers' work to do a lot of hard work to make a lot of wonders. And I think they are happy that they are provided with the opportunities that they can save some money and give their children good chance to get good educations and to live better lives. It's a lot better than being lazy and complain or even committing crimes. Do you Americans think it is right to give the not well educated workers a lot of money for free? Remember almost all the jobs are open to everyone, you can make good money if you are elligible. That's why China can make some steady progress in 30 yrs.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Alex, Beijing — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:39:19 GMT

The plight of illegal immigrants in the US is equally woeful. Are you writing romantic stories for girls or objective journalism? I find this kind of reporting cynical in its heart-rending but fairly vague style. Yes people are being abused; we know that. A few more stats might give us the impression that Mark was actually doing his homework and not saving up to take time off to wrire his book.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

karen smith, Houston, Tx — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:39:27 GMT

This reminds me of the Chinese workers who in the late 1800's built the western rail roads for us Americans. Working conditions and pay do not seem to have improved much since then.

I quess the pinnacle for slave workers was building the Great Pyramids in Egpyt. At least they got beer for working.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Doug P — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:53:38 GMT

Amazing story, and a terrific opportunity you guys took to share a few hours of this gentlemens life. The Chinese population in general are a hardworking generous lot. Thankful for everything. I lived in China for a year and found very few folks who weren't generous, caring people. A lot less self centered than we Americans. I would like to point out too, that the equivalent of $15.00 a day wages is quite livable when you can buy a dozen eggs for a nickel, a quart bottle of beer for 27 cents, a good meal in a "Mom and Pop" restuarant for slightly less than $2.00, and often apartments can be had in the city for as little as $21.00 USD a month!

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Mary Ellen Rice, Holtwood, pa — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:03:11 GMT

Where was the happy ending? why didn't you take him to the Olympics to see the completed birds nest. I heard they threw the people out of their houses to build all this stuff with no compensation. It is sad this day and age that people are treated that way. I was glad to see so many girls there since I heard they are not welcome in the chinese family . Everyone wants a boy.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Kelly, NY, NY — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:13:38 GMT

This is a great story that it focus on an ordinary poor Chinese worker's life. Its wonderful to read. There are so many people in China who share similar background or lives as Zhang. I am glad that he is making some money and bring home to feed his whole family. Alot of people may not know that there are millions of Chinese who live in the rural area are poor, have no or little education, no skills, and ,some are illiterate. In this case they can only do this kind of work. Same in the US, the more educated you are the better job or higher pay you get. These Chinese migrant workers work so hard and willing to do anything as long as you pay them. All they want is to bring back the money home for the family. I truely hope the CHinese gov't can at least give them some protection or benefits like pension or health care or strict safety regulation.

BTW, for those who mentioned about one child policy. THis policy is to control the population in China. China had been over populated for years. This policy is sucks for the Chinese families or may sound inhuman, but how else you can solve the over population and shortage of food supply and resouces? If China didn't have over 1billion people this policy wouldn't have existed.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Cindy, Lake Forest, CA — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:23:51 GMT

So much about China's modern growth reminds me of Industrial-age America. It would not surprise me in the least to see increased prosperity lead to improvements in the lives of the workers. As bad as we think it is now, how was life for these people 30 years ago? I know that's no excuse for the life today's people are living, but if history repeats itself, expect the Chinese workers to find ways to improve their lives and working situations as time progresses. The more demand there is for workers, the more will have to be offered to attract them. But the country's just ramping up to modern levels of production... economic changes (the good ones anyway) don't happen overnight.

It's very exciting, watching China change and become a little more capitalist. But even Capitalism has its "learning phases"

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

serena — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:05:21 GMT

i think the beijing olympics was so good

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Nelson Nart ,Los Angeles, CA — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:05:21 GMT

who contributed the hard works to the Golden Gate Bridge ? I think Mark Mullen know more than any body else. What's wrong with the Chinese contribute the hard works to their country?

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

Joan Reeves- Bloomington, IL — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 22:43:55 GMT

I have really enjoyed reading this article and thought it very well written. I also have read every comment by the readers and thought them also insightful. I was in China in 2005 and learned much about that country and the people. Thanks so much for this article.

The invisible army that built the Bird's Nest

andy, ny — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:53:17 GMT

great story, to make everyone feel better, i have to point out that $15 in china which has equivalent purchase value about $120 in us.