It’s unlikely you will read the real reaction from the Chinese public. There is strong criticism from the Chinese public but their reactions are promptly removed from websites, generating further protests. So, expect nothing but praise in the local media. All are happy and positive.
For some Chinese it was great indeed and most foreigners I met were overly positive. A bit like it was for the Athens closing ceremony: foreigners happy, Chinese not at all (for the Chinese performance).
Now why was the weather so bad? We were expecting rain in the afternoon to clean and cool the air. They fired something like thousand rockets before the clouds reached Beijing, bringing heavy rain in other areas. During the ceremony at one point the staff were preparing raincoats for the people as they feared a coming downpour – that never reached the Bird’s Nest.
I guess you’ll never read about that either. And there are more interesting stories…