The story behind the legend

At 97, Wang Fushi maintains a keen interest in new things and novel ideas. He checks emails, surfs the Web, reads and watches TV news every day.

The cofounder of China International Publishing Group and founder of China Encyclopedia Press also travels in his wheelchair "to spot changes" in the capital. His latest excursions included the Water Cube and the Bird's Nest.

"I'm too old to travel afar. But I have always kept an eye on changes in today's world, especially in my motherland," says Wang, who played a special role in bringing forth dramatic changes in China half a century ago.