Construction underway in Hangzhou on venues for 2022 Asian Games

World Today

China is gearing up to play host to 2 major international sporting events in the same year. Beijing is hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics. And in Hangzhou, preparations are underway for the Asian Games. CGTN’s Frances Kuo reports.

The city of Hangzhou – famous for its scenic lakes and green tea – will give people around the world another reason to visit in 2022 when the city hosts the Asian Games.

“I think the expectations will be very high and I know that it will be nicely done, because I know Chinese people are very good at organizing big events, because of the resources, because of the many people that can help,” said one man in Hangzhou.

Preparations are already underway in the city.  Twelve new venues are being built for the event. One includes reconstructing a 36,000 square meter stadium for events such as football and volleyball.

“It extends from here to form a ribbon, like a piece of flowing silk,” Li Yugang, deputy director general of the Yuhang Sports Bureau said. “These two stadiums are shaped like cocoons. They represent the features of the regions south of the Yangtze River.”

Local residents describe the main stadium as resembling a “giant lotus.” It will be able to seat 80,000 people and will host competitions in basketball, diving and swimming. It’s scheduled to be completed next year.

“We have built nearly 10,000 squares meters’ of bottom beams, and we are going to finish all the framework of the basement by the end of the year,” Zhao Guowei, with the Swimming Venue Project Department said.

Organizers are already looking beyond 2022, by emphasizing the sustainability of the facilities and their uses after the games are over. This will be the third time China has hosted the Asian Games and Hangzhou vows to deliver a memorable experience.


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