The Light of Asia Shines Over the Future - Decoding the Hangzhou Asian Games from Five Dimensions

On September 23rd, during the lunar autumnal equinox season, which symbolizes a bountiful harvest, the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games will kick off, with the light of the Asian Games shining on the banks of Xizi Lake.

In the great journey of striving to write a new chapter of Chinese path to modernization, the Hangzhou Asian Games, which is "humanistic, green, intelligent, simple and beneficial to the people", will certainly leave a significant mark in the history of Asian and world sports.

Cultural Asian Games

To the northwest of Hangzhou, in the center of Liangzhu Ancient City, is Mount Damojiao.

On the morning of June 15, 2023, the fire collection device shaped like Liangzhu Jade Wall converged with a beam of sunlight. In a moment, the holy flame was blazing brightly on the torch, and the sparks for the Hangzhou Asian Games were successfully collected.

When the Olympic motto of "Faster, Higher, Stronger - More Unity" meets the passion of Chinese civilization, the beauty of sports competition and the charm of the millennium old capital shine together. Liangzhu, the holy land that has proven the 5000 year history of Chinese civilization, is a microcosm.

On September 8th, the torch of the Asian Games began to pass on, and its name is "Huohuo" - every relay passed down by Huohuo is a footprint of the inheritance of Chinese civilization.

When the pointer of history points to the Hangzhou Asian Games, the value scale of humanistic spirit measures the cultural thickness of modern sports. Through the window of the Hangzhou Asian Games, what kind of sports feast will the world see, and what kind of Chinese spirit will be presented here?

On the banks of the Qiantang River, the waves are surging. By the railing, the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium stands quietly, with the "big lotus" waiting to bloom.

As the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Hangzhou Asian Games, this venue takes inspiration from the ancient silk texture and weaving system, and its architectural form is inspired by the dynamics of the Qiantang River. Looking down from the air, it is like a "flower" blooming side by side with the Asian Games tennis competition venue "Little Lotus", connecting to form a picturesque atmosphere of "endless blue lotus leaves reaching the sky, and lotus flowers reflecting the sun in a unique red color".

Through the Asian Games, the Chinese culture of high mountains and flowing water presents an expression of the times - whether it is the Asian Games medal "Hu Shan" that blends the charm of Liangzhu jade cong, delineating the landscape of Hangzhou with dynamic lines, or the Chinese delegation dress that incorporates elements such as blue and white porcelain, or the Asian Games floral ware that embodies the minimalist aesthetic of Song Dynasty in the form of a flower vase, all reveal the ingenuity and ingenuity of the overseas style and elegant charm.

Through the Asian Games, the vigorous vitality of the cultural economy can flow freely. Recently, the host city of the Asian Games, Hangzhou, established 50 new Asian Games cultural experience points, combining cultural resources with Asian Games elements and endowing tourism consumption with more cultural connotations; The co host cities of the Asian Games, such as Huzhou and Ningbo, have successively created multiple Asian Games themed tourism routes. The six host cities each have their own unique beauty, sharing the same beauty, and together they create a colorful cultural map.

By the Qiantang River, Wu Er is good at swimming. The emblem of the Hangzhou Asian Games, with the Qiantang River and Qianjiang Tide as its core image, "Tide", has become a vivid footnote to the timeless saying "Tide riders stand against the tide, holding the red flag without getting wet".

Cui Haihua, 51 years old this year, grew up by the Qiantang River. As a rowing coach at Zhejiang Haiyan Youth Sports School, he has a special affection for "Tide".

"The 'Tide' emblem symbolizes the gathering of athletes from various Asian countries, constantly challenging themselves and surpassing their limits in competitions, demonstrating the spirit of bravery, perseverance, and hard work." Cui Haihua said, "We will use practical actions to interpret the spirit of 'being a trendsetter'."

It has been 33 years since the 1990 Beijing Asian Games were held. The 33 year flame has been spreading, witnessing the profound changes in China's sports concept and the diverse exploration of sports values, as well as reflecting the improvement of China's comprehensive national strength and the progress of social civilization.

Making progress in the tide is precisely the characteristic of this Hangzhou Asian Games. This is the largest Asian Games, with over 12000 athletes registering to participate; This is the Asian Games with the most projects, and new projects such as breakdancing will make their debut; This is the most widely covered Asian Games, with 5 co hosting cities, and the complexity of the event organization far exceeds previous years.

Fearless of challenges, willing to fight and win, the surging spirit of the Chinese people is resonating with the Hangzhou Asian Games.

Green Asian Games

More than 600 years ago, the Yuan Dynasty painter Huang Gongwang lived in seclusion by the banks of the Fuchun River. The ink flowing from his pen turned into the famous painting "Dwelling in Fuchun Mountain", which has been passed down for generations.

On the river surface, where time flows and historical charm settles, the Hangzhou Fuyang Water Sports Center will become a arena for athletes to row vigorously. The first gold medal of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou will be born here on the 24th.

Looking down at this water area from the sky, you will find that the roof here is covered with green plants. The beautiful and technologically advanced "Sky Garden" not only increases the greening rate of the entire venue to 45%, but also provides carbon sequestration, oxygen release, thermal insulation, and reduces rainwater runoff.

Yang Yang, a staff member of State Grid Fuyang District Power Supply Company in Hangzhou, who is "diagnosing" the rainwater recovery system in the venue, said, "After a series of purification treatments, rainwater from the roof is distributed and utilized through pipelines for watering green spaces, atrium water features, and public health flushing."

On the land of Zhijiang, a new chapter of the Asian Games, which is green, low-carbon, and ecologically harmonious, is being written amidst the lush greenery.

Green Asian Games, low-carbon first.

How to achieve the goal of building the first carbon neutral Asian Games? When people turned their gaze to the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Power Support Operations Command, they found the answer. Here, rows of display devices are arranged in an orderly manner, and the Hangzhou Asian Games power operation support command platform on the large screen displays the real-time electricity consumption of various sports venues.

This command platform, known as the "smart brain," can achieve real-time monitoring of electricity data in nearly 300 Asian Games electricity protection venues, including 56 competition venues and 31 training venues.

"The power supply guarantee work for the Hangzhou Asian Games faces challenges such as scattered venue distribution, numerous participating personnel and facilities, and a large span of power supply time." Li Shenfei, Deputy Director of the Facilities Operation and Maintenance Department of the Venue Construction Department of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, introduced that the launch of the power operation guarantee command platform will promote more intelligent and efficient operation and maintenance of Asian Games venues through digital monitoring, scientific command, and intelligent rehearsals.

Green Asian Games, Ecological Empowerment.

Not long ago, several ambassadors to China were deeply impressed by the Shaoxing Keqiao Yangshan Climbing Center during their visit to Zhejiang. Looking at the climbing center from a distance, the hollowed out fa ç ade of this newly built venue resembles the symbol of Jiangnan silk culture - silkworm cocoon. Looking to the west, the scenery of Yangshan Stone City is panoramic, with the artificial rock wall race track and the scenery of the Stone City complementing each other.

Behind the organic integration of modern architecture and natural environment is the story of the green transformation of abandoned mines into the international arena of "rock ballet" after construction and development.

On the Kehai Road, not far from the venue, trucks full of fabric flow incessantly: white grey fabric is transported in, and colorful textile fabrics are transported out, scattered downstream in the industrial chain. The traditional industries that once caused damage to the ecological environment have now achieved a green transformation.

People do not disappoint the mountains, and the green waters and mountains also add luster to the Asian Games.

Nowadays, green mountains and clear waters are not only the "golden calling card" of over 19000 rural areas in Zhejiang, but also the "treasure trove" of sustainable development. With the vigorous development of rural tourism and leisure agriculture, the per capita disposable income of rural residents in Zhejiang has increased from 5431 yuan in 2003 to 37565 yuan in 2022.

In Longzhou Lake, located in Wenzhou, the co host city of the Asian Games, the water in the pilot zone is clear and bottoming out. The clear reflection of rows of high-rise buildings reflects the ecological priority and green development path contained in Chinese path to modernization.

This is a dragon boat competition held at the Wenzhou Dragon Boat Sports Center in Zhejiang Province, China, captured on August 8, 2022. Shen Jizhong

In order to ensure a good competition water environment for the Asian Games dragon boat project, the algae prevention and control expert team of Wenzhou University combined ultrasonic technology with traditional algae removal technology to act on algal blooms in the river, effectively improving water quality.

It is on this path of ecological priority and green development that an ecological picture unfolds - in 2022, Zhejiang, as the first national collaborative innovation zone for pollution reduction and carbon reduction, created 6.26% of the country's gross domestic product with 1% of the country's land, 4% of the population, and 4% of carbon dioxide emissions. The low-carbon practices of the Hangzhou Asian Games will provide a demonstration for Zhejiang and even the whole country to promote the achievement of the "dual carbon" goals.

Intelligent Asian Games

On September 16th, accompanied by the resounding sound of gongs, Hangzhou Asian Games Village officially put into operation during the competition.

Not only the warm environment and unique cuisine, but also the convenient experience brought by the smart Asian Games will be unlocked by the athletes, team officials, technical officials, and media personnel who stay during the Asian Games.

Sitting on the AR intelligent bus, the virtual and real scenes of the mascot "Jiangnan Memories", sports events, and Hangzhou scenery on the window overlap, bringing a fantastic and realistic interactive experience; Scan the QR code to check into the "Cloud Asian Games Village", where you can make venue reservations, check menus, consult information, and take a map tour with just a few fingertips

The Fuxing, dressed in the main image color of the Asian Games, "Rainbow Rhyme Purple", departed from Hangzhou East Station, connecting cities such as Jinhua and Wenzhou to host the competition. The application of technologies such as full coverage of 5G+WiFi and automatic adjustment of air pressure and temperature in the car will quietly and imperceptibly bring intelligence to passengers.

Intelligence is one of the organizing concepts of the Hangzhou Asian Games. The seamless connection between new technologies and sports events has made sports events more beautiful due to intelligence, and the new ideas of the times are vividly displayed by the West Lake.

The empowerment of digital technology makes event organization more efficient and smooth - at the event hosting end, the sports event digital hosting platform "Asian Games DingTalk" integrates nearly 300 digital applications. During the competition, hundreds of thousands of staff and volunteers will achieve a great collaboration through online organization, communication, and business.

The application of innovative technology makes competitive matches more precise and fair - in the badminton hall, 20 4K high-definition cameras and 1 VR camera allow every exciting moment to be frozen and played back 360 degrees. With the help of technology, referees can make more fair decisions; Through artificial intelligence infrared tracking technology, artificial intelligence referees convert each athlete's movement into a three-dimensional image in real-time, analyze and score the athlete's various body parameters and movement angles

The popularization of intelligent supporting facilities makes audience participation more warm and convenient - focusing on user needs such as "food, accommodation, transportation, travel, shopping, entertainment" and ticketing, the digital observation service platform "Intelligent Asian Games One Stop Connection" connects various Asian Games scenarios, integrates various urban services, and provides 28 services such as ticket purchase, travel, observation, accommodation, dining, and tourism for audiences.

The Wulin Square in the center of Hangzhou is the best place to perceive the changes brought by technology to the Asian Games: 33 years ago, when the torch of the Beijing Asian Games was passed to the West Lake, enthusiastic citizens surrounded the scene, and many people followed the torch running; 33 years later, while strolling through the renovated Wulin Square, people can take out their phones and create their own image as "digital torchbearers", passing the torch online.

The "inheritance" of Internet space makes the light of scientific and technological innovation coat the sports spirit with a layer of brilliant brilliance.

"Digital technology is breaking the time and space constraints to allow more people to participate in the Asian Games." Meng Yan, director of digital service products for the Asian Games of Ant Group Alipay, said that at present, more than one million people have experienced the Asian Games knowledge, science, Q&A, virtual sports and other projects in the "Asian Games Metauniverse" world.

On the 23rd, hundreds of millions of "digital torchbearers" from around the world will join hands to "light" the Asian Games torch in virtual space. The first digital ignition ceremony in the history of the Asian Games will not only officially kick off the curtain of this year's Asian Games, but also write a strong "digital flavor" and "intelligent style" in the history of the Asian Games.

Minimalist Asian Games

On the shore of Qiandao Lake, the Chun'an Jieshou Sports Center Cycling Center is like a pearl hidden between natural mountains and rivers. The sunlight shines through the roof glass and onto the wooden track, creating a dynamic atmosphere. The 374 pieces of red pine boards that were spliced together on the track were all leased, saving about 9 million yuan.

To the vast and subtle. The minimalist style of the Hangzhou Asian Games presents a simple and elegant appearance to large-scale events after being washed away.

A set of data showcasing the intensity of frugality in organizing events - the fencing competition venue equipment and facilities were replaced by renovation, saving about 20 million yuan in funds; The bicycle hall saves 30% of steel by optimizing the mechanical structure design of the venue; Installing detachable electric prefabricated cabins on temporary racetracks such as small wheelers and mountain bikes saves 70% of construction time and reduces construction costs by over 3 million yuan; The Hangzhou Shangcheng Sports Center Stadium is as old as new, saving nearly 8 million yuan in funds for the top solar film and seats.

A scene showcases a simple and pragmatic character - the Hangzhou University of Electronic Science and Technology Gymnasium, which has been transformed into a venue for two events, fencing at the Asian Games and wheelchair fencing at the Asian Paralympic Games. In the preliminary evaluation, the two sets of electronic display devices and the 17 year old seats here were preserved. Now, about 5000 old seats in the venue have been washed and refurbished, forming a blue ocean.

"Meeting the requirements of the competition is the 'first half of the article', and sustainable utilization after the competition is the 'second half of the article'. This article is more important," said Yao Gaoyuan, Mayor of Hangzhou and Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee. On Fengbei Road in Hangzhou, several red and white buildings were originally a primary school, but now they are restaurants in the Athletes Village. According to the "reversible construction" plan, the temporary added facilities can be demolished after the competition to restore the original school building.

The minimalist Asian Games is not only a conservation campaign carried out in the Asian Games Village, but also an innovative attempt to create a "no waste mode" for large-scale events.

The Hangzhou International Expo Center, with a total construction area of 850000 square meters, is the main media center and squash competition venue for the Hangzhou Asian Games, and also serves as a hotel reception. Previously, approximately 4000 tons of various types of garbage were generated here every year. To promote the reduction of waste at the source, Hangzhou International Expo Center has introduced an intelligent garbage classification system, which can conduct real-time statistical analysis of the waste generated in venues and hotel areas, and timely carry out harmless treatment.

"In areas where garbage classification is not in place, we will promptly take other measures to increase the sorting rate of garbage classification and improve the utilization rate of recyclable materials, in order to achieve the goal of 'no waste'," said Hu Guanglong, Manager of the Property Management Department of Hangzhou International Expo Center.

The minimalist Asian Games is not only a practice of the concept of resource conservation, but also a reflection of the traditional wisdom of the Chinese nation.

The colorful "Frugal Asian Games" event, made of waterproof and environmentally friendly fabrics such as washbags, wheat straw hangers, biodegradable PLA knives, forks, spoons in restaurants, and rice husk plates and bowls, conveys a racing concept and a way of life.

Shanchuan Primary School in Anji County, Huzhou City, held a painting themed activity called "Green Welcoming the Asian Games, Garbage Bags Returning Home", conveying the concept of frugal competition for the Asian Games; Hangzhou Chunhui Primary School guides students to establish the concept of "no waste" through interactive games and unique experience scenes... Cherish things to cultivate morality, and the frugality trend is extending from the meeting to the outside, promoting the trend of diligence and frugality in the whole society.

Asian Games for the benefit of the people

Under the warm autumn sun, the "lotus petals" of the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium are dazzling, and tourists and people shuttle back and forth.

After the announcement of the postponement of the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022, 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, setting a precedent for comprehensive sports venues in China to be opened to the fields of national fitness and mass sports before the competition. As of now, nearly ten million people have participated in fitness.

Behind the open door of the Asian Games lies the vivid practice of putting people first on the land of Zhijiang.

The Asian Games benefit the people and bring about changes in transportation——

The Hangzhou Asian Games is the 19th Asian Games, and there is a street named "Shijiu Street" located in Hangzhou Asian Games Village on the banks of the Qiantang River. Starting from Hangzhou West Railway Station, a subway line 19 runs through Hangzhou East Railway Station and Hangzhou Xiaoshan Airport. The tailored "Asian Games" subway special train runs on this line.

In recent years, the transportation network in Hangzhou has been continuously dense. In 8 years, Hangzhou has formed a 480 kilometer urban expressway network, an 800 kilometer expressway network, a 516 kilometer urban rail transit backbone network, and a 376 kilometer high-speed railway network. The long lines of highways have brought the general public closer to the Asian Games and also connected the distance of coordinated development across Zhejiang.

The Asian Games benefit the people and lead the trend of fitness——

In Gongshu District, Hangzhou City, there are lively scenes such as jumping houses, sliding on slides, playing ping pong, and playing football, all of which are eye-catching. The once abandoned parking lot has been renovated and transformed into an embedded sports stadium for the Cai Ma Grand Canal Happiness Home in Shangtang Street, Hangzhou City.

At the Taohua Island Sports and Leisure Park Football Base in Wenzhou, a national football match recently started, attracting 108 football teams and nearly 3000 football enthusiasts to compete on the field. It's hard to imagine that this sports field, which is adjacent to the Ou River and has a wide view, was built on the roof of a sewage treatment plant.

"According to the layered land supply model, the roof of the sewage treatment plant has been built with indoor air film ski resorts, outdoor football bases, sports supporting projects, etc., greatly improving the surrounding environment and breaking away from the previous problem of neighborhood avoidance in this area," said Wang Qi, Vice Chairman of the Wenzhou Football Association.

Benefiting the People and Beautifying the City at the Asian Games——

In Deqing, Huzhou, where the three person basketball venue is located at the Asian Games, the newly established "Wujiahong Station" in the Citizen Square of Deqing Geographic Information Town opens to welcome guests. The main functional directions of the post station are party member vanguard small benches, convenient service small square houses, and citizen activity small markets, attracting people to come and check in.

In Xiangshan, Ningbo, a total of 48 urban infrastructure construction projects were launched in the first half of this year, comprehensively accelerating the organic renewal and quality improvement of urban areas. In the warm atmosphere of welcoming the Asian Games, the mass foundation of some local characteristic sports has become increasingly solid, gradually becoming the "golden signboard" for the development of local tourism and characteristic sports industries.

The concept of "hosting a good meeting and enhancing a city" is taking root in various parts of Zhejiang province, including repairing and upgrading municipal facilities such as roads, beautifying parks and squares to enhance the city's appearance, building fitness centers and sports parks for the public, and creating a "10 minute fitness circle".

From Beijing 33 years ago, to Guangzhou 13 years ago, and now to Hangzhou, the flame of the Asian Games has been passed down, and the light of the Asian Games shines brightly.

On September 23rd, a cluster of "firewood" will travel through time and ignite the "digital flame" at the main venue of the Hangzhou Asian Games, "Big Lotus". It will gather the spirit of unity and progress, and inspire the glory and dreams of Asian Games athletes!

During the Qianjiang Tide, a passionate and inspiring Asian Games movement arrived as promised!

The world will witness that a grand Asian Games with Chinese characteristics, Asian style, and splendid diversity will live up to expectations!

Text and video reporters: Fang Jie, Xu Qiong, Fu Bowen, Zhao Minqi

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