New looks at the Hangzhou Asian Games Village Photo: HAGOC
The host city Hangzhou is well prepared as the 19th Asian Games are less than 30 days to go. Photo: Wang Chuan
By Zhu Jingning, Fang Jingyi
Hangzhou is fully prepared for the upcoming 19th Asian Games. "Hopefully, it will impress athletes and participants with a smart and green event", said an official of the organizing team last Thursday when the 30-day countdown to the opening ceremony was celebrated.
Less than 30 days to go
With the Games approaching, a series of celebrations were held in Hangzhou. Among others, the Hangzhou Asian Games and Hangzhou Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony, the release of the official theme songs and the press conference were the grand events worthy of being pointed out.
"The Love We Share" is the Official Song for the 19th Asian Games. The video of its English version was released on the 30-day countdown celebration.
The Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games Volunteers Commencement Ceremony was launched on the Zhejiang University Zijingang Campus. Over 1,800 volunteers representing 37,600 of the total gathered in the gymnasium giving their pledge for a high level service during the Games. Raja Randhir Singh, the acting president of the OCA sent his wishes to the volunteers and hoped that they would have a pleasant, fulfilling and unforgettable experience.
In addition, a press conference for the Hangzhou Asian Games was held at the Main Media Center on the same day. According to Chen Weiqiang, the executive secretary-general of the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou Organizing Committee, 481 gold medals will be awarded during the games and the final schedule will be announced by the end of August. Moreover, the 19th Asian Games torch relay will kick off in Hangzhou on Sept 8, with the first torchbearer beginning the relay at Yongjin Park. The number of torchbearers will hit 2,022, ranging from the youngest aging 14 to the oldest aging 84.
Zhu Qinan, the head of the Competition Department of HAGOC, disclosed at the press conference that athlete registration has been completed, with 45 national and regional Olympic committees registered to participate. The first gold medal of the Games will be awarded at the Fuyang Water Sports Center on Sept 24.
The Games have also successfully minimized carbon emissions in venue construction, energy supply, and operational management, achieving a carbon donation quota of 1.068 million tons. This effort has garnered hundreds of millions of participants via online activities, who are collectively working on making the Asian Games the first carbon-neutral event.
Pre-game warm-ups going on
As the preparations for the Hangzhou Asian Games have entered the crucial pre-competition period, logistics for the Games will also come to its busiest time. Transportation is highly needed for the over ten thousand athletes and technical officials from the 45 national and regional delegations shuttling between the six host cities, 56 competition venues, nearly a hundred training facilities and reception hotels. More than 100,000 tons of the Asian Games-related materials will be freighted through a massive logistics network that integrates warehousing, transportation, customs clearance, and information technology to ensure smooth operations.
To safeguard the fire safety during the Asian Games, a joint fire emergency was rehearsed on Aug 28 at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Training Hall, involving the fire department, public security, electricity, and health departments. This exercise demonstrated the entire process of the spontaneous response to a fire alert, personnel evacuation, firefighting and rescuing, as well as interdepartmental coordination facilitated by a set of advanced firefighting equipment.
Rehearsals for the opening ceremony and comprehensive practice were held two days before with the participations of the public to optimize urban traffic conditions.
The activities related to the Asian Games digital torchbearers have also run into the sprint stage. The Committee extends a sincere invitation to netizens around the world to welcome all the digital torchbearers to participate in the first-ever digital ignition ceremony. The opening ceremony will undoubtedly become a memorable classic moment for all digital torchbearers, whose identities can be activated by searching the "Asian Games" synchronically with the ceremony. The increasing number of participants and countdown celebrations are the constant reminder of the approaching Asian Games.
Trendy greetings to international friends
On Aug 25, a group of 15 coaches and athletes from the Thai rowing team arrived at the Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport. They went through the Asian Games channel for fast clearance. This is the first group of overseas participating athletes seen in the city.
At the Hangzhou Asian Games Village, various Asian Games elements can be seen, especially the mascots. Staff members were surprised to find that the traffic lights blinking with the images of the mascots Chenchen, Congcong and Lianlian had replaced the usual ones.
On Aug 28, the Committee unveiled a menu for the athletes at the Asian Games Village that combines an international perspective with Zhejiang characteristics. The athlete's restaurant in the Asian Games Village will start serving meals on Sept 9. The food will feature both Chinese and foreign cuisines to cater for various tastes, with technically selected recipes to ensure balanced meals. Among others, some popular Hangzhou cuisine dishes such as stir-fried shrimps, garlic spare ribs, and fish soup are also seen at the athlete's restaurant.
Recently, Hangzhou's trademark red public bikes also made their debut at the Asian Games Village, becoming an integral part of the energy-saving transportation system during the games.