The four modernisations, three represents, the eight honours and eight disgraces — from catchy to obscure, they regularly feature in newspaper headlines and official speeches.

Combine the tendency toward policy-making by slogan with a desire to engineer a change in some of the earthier habits of Beijing residents ahead of the Games, and you get the capital’s latest: the 10 Do’s and Don’ts.      

A sampling, proclaimed in massive billboards across one of the equally massive construction sites that define practically every city block:      

Do keep in mind traffic safety rules; Don’t jump traffic barriers or rush to make red lights.

Do respect Olympic trademarks and safeguard rules; Don’t misuse Olympic banners, emblems, logos and songs.  

Do protect Olympic intellectual property rights; Don’t buy and sell pirated or fake goods.

Do beautify the city’s appearance and protect the environment; Don’t spit anywhere and set up stalls on roadsides.  

Do raise consciousness of Olympic laws; Don’t break laws and regulations and influence the whole Olympic image.  

With fakes sold on every corner, traffic a zoo, and spitting showing no signs of slowing, it may take some time for the messages to get through.

Pictures by Lindsay Beck