Beijing Olympic Village opens to athletes

BEIJING, July 27 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic Village for the Beijing Games was officially opened Sunday morning as hundreds of Chinese athletes started checking into the 66-hectare compound.
Village mayor Chen Zhili announced its opening, which is about 20 minutes' walk northwest of the Games' two centerpiece venues - the Bird's Nest stadium and aquatic venue Water Cube. The sprawling complex houses about 16,000 athletes, coaches and their entourage coming for the Olympics
"We now welcome athletes from around the world to come to the Games," said Chen, vice president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG).
"We will try to satisfy the needs of people from different cultural and religious backgrounds. We hope you will like the facilities and services, and achieve desirable results at the Games," she said.
The Chinese delegation was the first to check in by raising its national flag in the village. Athens Olympics 110 meters hurdles champion Liu Xiang and NBA star Yao Ming were among about a hundred athletes who were present at the ceremony.
At least two other delegations, Cuba and Poland, are scheduled to arrive at the village on Sunday.
China has announced that it will send the largest ever delegation of 1,099 members to the Games, including 639 athletes.
"As athletes from the host country, I hope you will present the peaceful, civilized and open stance of China," Chen told the Chinese delegation. She also had talks to the athletes and wished them good luck.
Chen Wenbin, the head coach of men's weightlifting squad, said "coming into the village made me really feel the pulse of the Gamesand it will add impetus to our athletes".
We will arrange training programs for the weightlifters after they move in, but before that, we need to send staff here to see to accommodation and dining and make sure everything is OK," he said.
The sprawling village is divided into three sections of the international area, residential area and operations area. It contains a main restaurant that can feed 5,000 people, its own fire station, teahouses, coffee shops, a barbershop, post office, shops, library and a clinic.
Diversified meals, along with customized beds, space for religious masses and entertainment facilities, are part of the efforts to provide comfortable stay for the athletes.
Other services like chances of learning the Chinese language and watching Chinese cultural performances are expected to add colors to their Olympic experience.
"The village is modern and nicely fitted," said Glenda Korporaal, a senior writer from The Australian newspaper who comes to cover the Games.
In line with IOC (International Olympic Committee) regulations, a religious center has been set up in the village. Worship rooms are arranged for major religions -- Christianity, Buddhism, Islamism, and Hinduism and Judaism.
The total of 42 apartment buildings in the village was built with energy saving technologies, water recycling system, environmentally friendly construction materials and solar-powered lighting. Some of the apartments have been sold out as up-scale residences.
Deng Yaping, a famed Olympic table tennis champion as well as the spokes-person and deputy director of the Olympic Village Department, said on Friday that 46 countries and regions have had some representation in the village since its preliminary opening onJuly 20. The village is expected to be fully lodged.
It will close on Aug. 27 and reopen as the Paralympic Village on Aug. 30 until Sept. 20.

Source: http://en.beijing2008.cn/venues/olympicvillage/headlines/n214482778.shtml

Delegation to Beijing Paralympic Games largest in Chinese history

BEIJING, July 17) -- The Chinese delegation to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games hosted a press conference on Thursday, revealing that a total of 547 representatives will be part of the group, which includes 332 athletes who will be competing in all 20 events.
197 men and 135 women will make up the competitive team, the largest in Chinese history; the oldest athlete is 51-years-old and the youngest is 15-years-old. Compared to the Athens Paralympic Games, the Chinese delegation this time around has increased by 261 people, which includes 132 more athletes than in 2004. The athletes come from all walks of life from all over the country: students, farmers, self-employed individuals and workers will be representing China in September. For 226 of these athletes, 2008 will be their Olympic debut year.

For the first time in any Paralympic Games, equestrian, wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, rowing, sailing, boccia, goalball, football 5-a-side and football 7-a-side events will be held.
The Paralympic Games have continuously gained popularity over the years, not only in China, but worldwide. It occupies the same stage as the Olympic Games as an internationally celebrated event, as awareness and support of people with disabilities increase.

source: http://en.paralympic.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/others/n214459089.shtml

Beijing offers free bus, subway for Olympic ticket holders

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Beijing will offer free bus and subway services for Olympic ticket holders during the Games, as the Chinese capital gears up to provide swift transport for 8 million athletes, media people and spectators.
In addition, the city will extend the operation time of more than 350 bus routes and open 34 new routes connecting the city with each of the Olympic competition venue, according to Zhou Zhengyu, Beijing Municipal Committee of Communications director.
The authorities were still working on details for the free bus and subway services for spectators, reporters and Games' staff.
Spectators can take buses and subways free in downtown Beijing till 4 a.m. the next day of the ticket date. However, they would have to pay for buses on the outskirts of the city and the airport express subway.
Beijing is expect to handle 15 million bus trips per day and 21.1 million trips on its public transport network during the Games.
Beijing, which hosts the Olympics from Aug. 8 to 24 and the Paralympics from Sept. 6 to 17, is expected to draw about 500,000 overseas visitors during the Games period, according to a Beijing Municipal Tourism Administration forecast.

Source: http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/olympiccities/beijing/n214445667.shtml

Olympic Village impresses mock dwellers with Chinese culture

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Over 2,000 "athletes" who poured into the Beijing Olympic Village in the latest test run of the athletes' compounds were asked to be picky and choosy.
Mock dwellers, however, gave thumbs-up to the facilities and were impressed with Chinese culture that permeates the village, said the village's general secretary Wu Jingmin.
Non-Chinese Olympic villagers, if they like, can pick up their Chinese names which use phonetic sounds for foreign names.
Sun Shishu, a Chinese language teacher working in the village, gave dozens of Chinese names in the first several hours of the trial run of the village.

"Let your surname be An, which means peace and safety. And your first name is Taifu, which means peace and happiness," Sun explained to Typhen Ann, an engineer from Britain, who works at the Main Cafeteria of the Olympic Village.
The village, which is the home to about 16,000 athletes and officials during the Games, sits on the north end of the axis of Beijing. Important buildings of all ages, including the Forbidden City and the Tiananmen Square, are aligned down this line.
Further north lies the Olympic Green. To the south is the National Stadium, popularly known as the "Bird Nest".
Deng Yaping, the village's vice mayor and four-time table tennis Olympic champion, believes the biggest attraction for the Olympic Village lies in its Chinese culture.
"For most of the (foreign) athletes I've talked with, they are amazed at Chinese culture. They want to try, to feel what is the real Chinese culture," Deng said.
"The village is a place where the athletes can unwind and get to know Chinese culture. We want to give them a full experience with Chinese culture."
The Olympic Village is divided into northern and southern halves. In the north, or the International Area, are the Head of Village Office, Flag Square, shopping areas, restaurants, entertainment and fitness facilities. In the south are athletes' apartments, whose main gates is decorated with a bronze art panel.
On the lawns around the apartments stand Chinese traditional lamp posts and dragon-patterned stone pillars, while water lilies float on the ponds.
The buildings in the International Area are temporary, except for a Chinese temple compound right next to the Flag Square, which is used as the Head of Village Office where Deng will work during the Games.

Chinese handicraft workroom sits in the International Area, painted with Chinese traditional colors of red, yellow and blue. About 20 handicraftsmen will show their talent in embroidery, woodcarving, painting and Beijing Opera mask making during the Games.
"Athletes can watch the artists finishing their works, and they can buy whatever they like," said Wang Jinqiang, the workroom manager.
The Beijing Olympic Village will officially open on July 27 and close on August 27. Also as the Paralympic Village, it will reopen on August 30 and close on September 20.
Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/10/content_8522081.htm