"It's really a shame," said Tom Pattinson, editor of Time Out, an entertainment listings magazine, whose July issue for Beijing lists the best bars and nightspots. "Beijing had really bloomed in the past 18 months, but the next few months will be dull."
Part of the disconnect may be China's view of fun, some said. China has long been a food culture, built around eating lavishly with a close-knit group. For many people older than 40, the idea of going out to a bar and mixing with strangers, especially foreigners, is not particularly attractive.
"The notion of a multiracial globalized party, which much of the outside world sees as the Olympic spirit -- they don't get it," said French, the consumer marketer. "The idea of black and white people with their arms around each other kissing a policeman is not going to work."
In another security move, the government has pushed many internal migrants and disgruntled petitioners out of Beijing and put activists in detention or under house arrest.
Australia, which had the luxury of acting as host in the pre-9/11 era, took a different approach, said David Richmond, former chief executive of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. For nearly a year, organizers met with potential protesters, including Aboriginal groups, to address their concerns and even set up Olympic displays that showcased their history and culture. Many foreign protesters ultimately put down their signs after a few days, Richmond said, as they got caught up in the spirit of fun.
Panos Livadas, a Greek government spokesman and past Olympic crisis-team member, said he warned China that with the job of being Games host comes criticism. But if visitors enjoy themselves, he said, the nation reaps huge long-term tourism and trade dividends.
"Having people come and have a good time is important," he said. "And we know how to do it."
Behind China's clampdown, said political analysts, is a top-down, criticism-wary government nearly as fearful of a Tibet or Falun Gong protester as it is of a terrorist incident.
"Even though China says the Olympics shouldn't be politicized, many Chinese find that funny given that people over 40 or 50 years old have been indoctrinated that everything is politics," said Joseph Cheng, a political scientist at the City University of Hong Kong. "The model is 'Nothing should go wrong, don't take any chances, stability over everything.' "
