Building a Flourishing Force for the Future Together - Written on the occasion of the 100 day countdown to the opening of the Hangzhou Asian Games, the Asian Games | Citizens | Asian Games

A holy land of civilization, let's go to the Asian Games together.

Respond to eager expectations with comprehensive preparation and welcome guests from all directions with sincere smiles. On June 15th, there are still 100 days left until the opening of the Hangzhou Asian Games. In 100 days, the light of the Asian Games will illuminate the banks of Xizi Lake; In 100 days, Asian athletes will join hands to play a deafening song towards the future.

The Hangzhou Asian Games is the largest and highest level international comprehensive sports event held in China after the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It has attracted national and global attention.

From the 1990 Beijing Asian Games to the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, and then to this year's Hangzhou Asian Games, China's comprehensive national strength and competition concept have undergone profound changes. What will soon be presented to Asia and the world is an elegant and wise Hangzhou, a vibrant and confident Zhejiang, and a more open and inclusive China.

By the banks of Xizi Lake and Qiantang River, Hangzhou, once hailed by Marco Polo as the "most beautiful and luxurious city in the world," has warmly invited the whole of Asia to present a grand Asian Games event with "Chinese characteristics, Asian style, and splendid diversity.".

Sprint! The preparatory work is basically ready

Since the successful bidding in September 2015, Hangzhou and five co hosting cities including Ningbo, Wenzhou, Jinhua, Shaoxing, and Huzhou have always adhered to the concept of "green, intelligent, thrifty, and civilized" in hosting competitions, followed the requirements of "simplicity, safety, and excitement" in hosting competitions, and steadily moved towards the goal of "hosting a good conference and improving a city".

The Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center venue complex was filmed on August 2, 2021. Shen Jizhong

As night falls, the lanterns begin to shine. Standing on the "city balcony" and looking towards the south bank of the Qiantang River, the two venues of the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium and Swimming Pool are like a colorful butterfly flapping its wings and ready to fly.

The Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Swimming Pool can accommodate 6000 spectators and has five pools, including a competition pool, diving pool, and warm-up pool. It will host three swimming, diving, and synchronized swimming events at the Hangzhou Asian Games, winning 53 gold medals, making it the venue with the most gold medals won at the Games.

The Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium and Swimming Pool were filmed on March 30, 2022. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Zongzhi

The water storage capacity of this venue exceeds 10000 tons, and the pool water can still be kept clean and clear even without being changed year-round. Zhang Rui, a staff member at the swimming pool of Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, said that although it may seem like "no water change" on the surface, it is actually constantly replenishing new water, "just like human blood, constantly flowing, processing, and updating to ensure the clarity of water quality.".

The interior of the swimming pool at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, filmed on April 12, 2021. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jiang Han

Taha Suleiman Al Kishri, Secretary General of the Asian Swimming Federation, praised the unique design and advanced intelligent equipment of the venue, calling it an "architectural miracle". "I believe it will be one of the best swimming competition venues in the history of the Asian Games.".

The commitment of Hangzhou and Zhejiang is to provide first-class venue facilities, smooth event organization, and thoughtful service guarantees to help athletes fully perform on the field and demonstrate higher levels of competitiveness.

The Fuyang Aquatic Sports Center was filmed on March 11, 2022. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yu

Thomas Konetzko, President of the International Canoe Federation, commented on the Fuyang Aquatic Sports Center as follows: "There are two tracks here: still water events and slalom. It is one of the few venues in the world that can combine multiple competition events to organize large-scale international events. It can not only host competitions for the Asian Games and Olympic Games, but also further promote our canoeing sports."

Organize a meeting well and elevate a city. With the construction and renovation of venues, urban supporting facilities such as infrastructure and environmental renovation, and public services have also been accelerated and improved. Not only Hangzhou and the five co hosting cities, but also the three major improvement actions of "urban quality, urban governance, and urban civilization" to welcome the Asian Games are being fully launched within the Zhejiang Province. The sky is bluer, the mountains are greener, and the water is greener... The people living here are not only participants, witnesses, but also beneficiaries.

On November 9, 2021, a child took a photo with the mascot of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games in the Grand Canal Asian Games Park. The Grand Canal Asian Games Park is located in Gongshu District, Hangzhou City, consisting of "one venue, one square, and two centers". It will host table tennis, breakdancing, and field hockey events for the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Zongzhi

"The coordinated promotion of the value co creation and common prosperity of the Asian Games in various regions has provided valuable experience for bold exploration and timely summary and refinement of successful experiences and institutional models in the construction of demonstration zones for common prosperity," said Zheng Fang, a professor at Zhejiang University.

At present, all 40 major events, 61 sub events, and 483 sub events of the Hangzhou Asian Games have been determined. The overall schedule, unit and sub event schedule version 2.0, and the "Competition Registration Guide" have been released. 56 competition venues and 31 training venues have all completed the functional acceptance of the competition, and a "full element, full process, and full load" test competition is being carried out in accordance with the standards of the Asian Games in various venues. 56 competition venues have implemented "one venue, one plan", and a detailed venue operation plan has been formed by sorting out the daily competition activity schedule and daily operation schedule during the competition. The Asian Games Village and its sub villages have met the conditions for occupancy.

Zhou Jinqiang, Vice Chairman of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee and Deputy Director of the General Administration of Sport of China, stated that the preparation work for the Hangzhou Asian Games has fully entered the sprint stage, and all aspects are gradually improving, with overall stability and order.

Benefiting the people! Everyone shares the dividends of the Asian Games

In the summer of Mengxia, when overlooking the Canal Sports Park located in Gongshu District, Hangzhou City from the air, two venues, one south and one north, shine in each other's distance. Coupled with lush green grass and clear water, the park quickly became a "check-in point" for citizens.

As the venue for table tennis, breakdancing, and field hockey events at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Gongshu Canal Sports Park incorporated the concept of "returning the venue to the people" into its design, allowing the operating units to intervene in advance and fully consider the functional requirements during and after the games. After completion, this will become the first comprehensive urban sports park in Zhejiang Province that integrates collective education centers, parks, sports fields, and commercial facilities.

The Asian Games benefit the people, and venues take the lead. After the postponement of the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, the 56 competition venues and 31 training venues that have been fully completed and passed the functional acceptance of the events have not been shelved. Instead, they have been gradually opened to the public in accordance with models such as national fitness, professional leadership, school opening, and market operation, becoming an excellent example of newly built comprehensive sports venues in China opening up to national fitness and mass sports before the competition. As of now, more than 8 million people have participated in fitness activities at these venues.

On September 20, 2022, citizens played basketball at the Qianjiang Century City Sports Park located under the high-speed railway bridge. In Hangzhou, a number of sports venues are seamlessly integrated into the urban living circle, and the "leftover materials" of urban space are becoming the "golden corners and silver edges" of national fitness. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Zongzhi

In order to maximize the benefits of the Asian Games, Hangzhou has recently released the "Ten Measures for Sports venues to Benefit the People", including measures such as free and affordable sports, public welfare training, and sports consumption, aimed at sharing the benefits of the Asian Games with the whole population.

Venues benefit the people, not just here. In March of this year, the 2023 Hangzhou Archery League was held at the shooting, archery, and modern pentathlon competition venue of the Asian Games at the Yinhu Sports Center in Fuyang District. This is the first official archery competition held by the Asian Games venue for the public since it was fully open to the public.

"This is the first time a citizen league has been held at the archery venue of the Hangzhou Asian Games, providing many archery enthusiasts with a rare opportunity to enter the Asian Games venues and experience the atmosphere of the Asian Games," said Yan Zhicheng, the competition leader of the venue operation team at the Fuyang Yinhu Sports Center.

Sharing the benefits of the Asian Games, "Returning to the People" is just one of them. Taking the Asian Games as an opportunity to build a higher-level public service system for national fitness has also blossomed and borne fruit here. A number of sports venues are being seamlessly integrated into the urban living circle, and the "leftover materials" of urban space are becoming the "golden corners and silver edges" of national fitness.

In Ningbo, the unused space under the Panhuo Viaduct, which was once overgrown with weeds and littered with garbage, has transformed into a vibrant Panhuo Sports Park, with an annual number of athletes reaching 150000; In Wenzhou, the sports and leisure park built on the sewage treatment plant has become a good place for residents in the Taohua Island area to relax and exercise after tea and meals; In Hangzhou, parks, green spaces, waterfront greenways, under bridge spaces, building roofs, exhibition parks, and community idle land are becoming "sports parks" around the people

On the "Zheli Fitness" application platform, public sports venues are 100% included in the "National Fitness Map", which can achieve online search, navigation, booking, payment and other functions, significantly reducing the "vacancy rate" of venues. The survey report on the status of national fitness activities in Zhejiang Province in 2022 recently released by the Zhejiang Provincial Sports Bureau shows that the overall situation of national fitness activities in the province continues to improve.

On November 12, 2022, sports enthusiasts participated in a health run competition on the fitness trail of Beihu Grassland Ecological Wetland in Pingyao Town, Yuhang District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yu

"The Hangzhou Asian Games have played a positive and effective role in guiding, promoting, and promoting the construction of venues and facilities, public participation in fitness, and the creation of a sports and cultural atmosphere for Zhejiang's national fitness." Li Qidi, Dean of the School of Sports and Health Sciences at Zhejiang Normal University, said that through the preparation, hosting, and post competition utilization of the Asian Games, the integrated promotion of a series of actions for the people, benefiting the people, facilitating the people, and benefiting the people has continuously released the radiation effect of "sports make life better", greatly enhancing the happiness and sense of achievement of urban and rural residents.

Preparation! Looking forward to the golden autumn together

As the largest comprehensive sports event in Asia and also an important military training before the Paris Olympics next year, Chinese athletes are fully preparing for this grand event at their doorstep.

The Hangzhou Asian Games will be the fourth Asian Games I will participate in, hoping to have a good performance and bring glory to Chinese swimming. At the Jakarta Asian Games and the Tokyo Olympics, Wang Shun won gold medals in the men's 200 meter individual medley event. He will also strive to continue "raising the national flag and playing the national anthem" in front of his hometown elders.

On February 12, 2023, Wu Yibing became the first Chinese Mainland player to win the ATP Tour singles championship at the Men's Professional Tennis Association 250 Tour singles final award ceremony in Dallas, USA. Shen Jizhong

Professional tennis player Wu Yibing may be more looking forward to the upcoming grand event. At the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, he won a silver medal in men's singles; In the past one or two years, he has continued to break through and won the men's professional tennis player association 250 Tour Dallas in the United States at the beginning of this year, becoming China's first ATP Tour singles champion.

"Because I am a native of Hangzhou, I want to bring back this gold medal at my doorstep," said Wu Yibing.

It's not just Chinese athletes who are eagerly awaiting it.

"You haven't recovered yet, I dare not grow old" - The story of Qiushovikina is well-known, and now this 47 year old legendary general has also set his sights on the Hangzhou Asian Games. "I have decided to continue preparing for the Hangzhou Asian Games. I have not yet won a medal in an important event for my motherland Uzbekistan, so I cannot end my gymnastics career like this."

On July 25, 2021, 46 year old Uzbek gymnast Chusovikina waved to the audience after the women's qualification gymnastics competition at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Cao Can

At present, the registration for the second phase of the Hangzhou Asian Games has been successfully completed, and all Olympic Committees from 45 Asian countries and regions have registered to participate. Many national and regional Olympic Committees have listed the Hangzhou Asian Games as the most important event of this year. Iraqi Olympic Committee Secretary General Haisam stated that the Iraqi Olympic Committee has been preparing for the Hangzhou Asian Games for a long time, actively building teams in basketball, weightlifting, karate, taekwondo and other events.

Huo Qigang, Vice President of the Hong Kong Sports Association and Olympic Committee of China, and Head of the Hong Kong delegation to the Hangzhou Asian Games, stated that the Hong Kong delegation will send its largest team since participating in the Asian Games, hoping to achieve a record high number of medals. Everyone hopes to achieve the best results at the Hangzhou Asian Games held in our country.

During the Hangzhou Asian Games delegation leader conference held in April, Olympic Council official Vinold Divari visited the Asian Games Village and multiple competition venues. He said, "In my opinion, the preparation work for the Hangzhou Asian Games is very thorough, and the organizing committee is ready to host the Asian Games.".

Chen Weiqiang, Executive Secretary General of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee and Deputy Mayor of Hangzhou, stated that in the next stage, the preparation for the Hangzhou Asian Games will focus on deepening various aspects of the opening and closing ceremonies, promoting the torch relay, strengthening service guarantees for the Asian Games Village, strengthening all element testing and drills, deepening foreign affairs protocol work, refining arrival and departure work, and optimizing transportation organization during the Games.

The lotus reflects the sun, blooming with the host's fiery enthusiasm for welcoming guests from all over the world; Sports as a medium, building a vibrant force for Asia to move towards the future together!

The Asian Games is not only a stage for sports, but also a platform for diplomatic, cultural, and economic exchanges. The slogan of "Heart to Heart Integration, Love for the Future" of the Hangzhou Asian Games is highly consistent with the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger - More Unity", expressing the beautiful wish of facing the future and jointly building a community with a shared future for Asia and humanity.

The Leifeng Pagoda is bathed in the morning light at the West Lake Scenic Area in Hangzhou. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xu Yu

Waiting for you to come, come together, the Qianjiang River surges with enthusiasm and boldness;

"Wait for you to come and experience the lush valley flower sea by the West Lake..."

At the autumnal equinox, the Qianjiang River tide rises; In 100 days, Hangzhou is waiting for you!

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