The minimalist Asian Games are not simple

Renovation and renovation of the old gymnasium, transforming into a competition venue for the Asian Games; Wash and brush the old seats, and return to work; The Asian Games Village Athletes Restaurant is designed and built according to the design of a primary school teaching building, and needs to be "transformed" back after use... During the bidding and preparation process for the Hangzhou Asian Games, the keyword "simplicity" has been frequently mentioned.

Holding large-scale sports events and investing have always been one of the concerns of various sectors of society. Currently, frugal hosting of competitions has become a trend, and countries will consider this factor to varying degrees when hosting competitions; From another perspective, it is essential to invest in the preparation of comprehensive sports events, construction of venues, and improvement of urban infrastructure. This is not only to meet the needs of hosting competitions, but also to enhance the city's level and long-term development.

It can be seen that it is not easy to achieve simplicity in organizing competitions, and it is necessary to seek the optimal solution in a multi-objective balance. One cannot help but ask, how can we seek a balance between simplicity and excitement in hosting a high-level sports event like the Asian Games? What efforts has Hangzhou made?

Panorama of the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium

In the history of the Olympics, the 1976 Montreal Olympics resulted in local residents paying a special Olympic tax for 30 years due to excessive expenses. In order to avoid repeating the "Montreal trap", controlling competition costs and achieving sustainable development have become a global issue. Subsequently, cost reduction was proposed as one of the important reform measures in the Olympic 2020 Agenda.

Focusing on China, the Beijing Winter Olympics, Chengdu Universiade, Hangzhou Asian Games, and others are all practitioners of the minimalist concept of hosting events. While reasonably controlling the cost of hosting events, major events strive to present charm and excitement to the world. The author believes that minimalist competition contains at least three meanings.

Simplicity is a power that conveys the values of sustainable development. Diligence, frugality, and thrift are traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, deeply ingrained in the DNA of the Chinese people. Even though the country has become prosperous and the living standards of the people have improved, the fine tradition of diligence, thrift, and thrift cannot be forgotten or lost. The most intuitive way to practice simplicity is to spend money on the cutting edge, not spending what should not be spent, and counting what should be spent with fingers, using a longer-term perspective to plan resource utilization and measure input-output.

Simplicity is a fashion that embodies the aesthetic pursuit of the Chinese nation. Zhuangzi once said more than two thousand years ago, "simplicity is something that the world cannot compete with for beauty." The Chinese nation advocates the beauty of simplicity, simplicity, and tranquility, and this pursuit has already penetrated into the daily lives of the Chinese people. When the aesthetic of simplicity is combined with the beauty of sports events, and simplicity is cleverly integrated into venue construction and logo design, events and cities will also be more charming.

Simplicity is a confidence that showcases the confidence and consciousness of the new era and the new Asian Games. From the Beijing Asian Games 33 years ago to the Hangzhou Asian Games today, our comprehensive national strength and national spirit have made a qualitative leap, which also allows us to hold international sports events more confidently and calmly. We have the confidence to believe that the Hangzhou Asian Games is a self realization from a high starting point, without the need for major demolition, construction, and large-scale events. The events can still be organized in an orderly and exciting manner, which is the landscape that the new era of the Asian Games should have.

From the beginning of preparation, the simplicity of the Hangzhou Asian Games has been blowing to every corner of the city, promoting a successful event and enhancing a city. The fact will also prove that Hangzhou has the ability to present the world with a sports event that interweaves tradition and modernity, and integrates culture and sports through a highly coordinated integration of resource elements.

Hangzhou Asian Games Village 2

The most prominent feature of the minimalist Asian Games is the frugal organization of competitions. Zhejiang people, who have always been meticulous in their calculations, have put a lot of effort into calculating this Asian Games account.

For example, venue facilities can be renovated but not built, repaired but not replaced, rented but not purchased, borrowed but not rented. In previous large-scale sports events, venue construction and facility equipment often accounted for the majority of investment. After overall planning, out of the 56 competition venues for the Hangzhou Asian Games, only 12 are newly built venues, while the remaining 44 are temporary or renovated from existing buildings. The Hangzhou University of Electronic Science and Technology Gymnasium, which undertakes the fencing and wheelchair fencing events of the Asian Games and the Asian Paralympic Games, has over 5000 seats with a 17 year history. After cleaning and repairing them, they are put back into use; The standard track of Chun'an Track Cycling Center is a rented second-hand device that can be dismantled after use. The seats, lighting system, imaging system, etc. inside the center are also non permanent devices, which can save more than 16 million yuan in costs.

In fact, the way to save money for the Hangzhou Asian Games is not just about the apparent cost of money, but also about the cost of land, manpower, and time.

For example, brainstorming and using technological means to achieve resource conservation. Nowadays, technological development plays an increasingly important role in the sustainable recycling of resources, and the use of technological means has also provided a broader space for the Asian Games to practice the concept of simplicity. The Hangzhou Asian Games utilized a series of "black technologies" to achieve simplification and quality.

Taking the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium and Swimming Pool as examples, 210 light pipes are installed inside the two pavilions. Natural light is introduced into the indoor space through the top lighting cover, which has advantages such as no flicker, energy saving, long service life, and the ability to open and close. It can save about 100000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

For example, spending money on two things at once allows more people to enjoy the benefits of the Asian Games. At the beginning of construction and renovation, most of the venues of the Hangzhou Asian Games had planned a way out after the competition, which was to "return the venues to the people.". The athlete restaurant in the Asian Games Village was designed as a primary school during the planning process, and the engineering team tailored a "reversible construction" renovation plan for it. After the competition, only some facilities need to be demolished to restore its original appearance; The venue of Linping Sports Center has been renovated into a wind and rain playground, which is used by athletes to warm up during the Asian Games and for students to exercise after the Asian Games.

Simplicity rather than simplicity is reflected in all aspects. The Hangzhou Asian Games strive to achieve a win-win situation in both the short and long term, as well as between events and cities, by using white space subtraction to make the beauty of the Asian Games and the city more concise and long-lasting.

Venue Three of the Fencing Competition at the Hangzhou Asian Games

Now, the opening of the Asian Games is approaching, and the preliminary preparation and investment are nearing completion. Afterwards, how to further explore the IP value of the Asian Games and extend the concept of minimalist hosting to the post competition is a worthwhile second half of the article. The author believes that there are three sentences that should be included in it.

Open up sources and reduce costs with both hands. While skillfully performing subtraction, it is also important to make good use of addition. A sports event with international influence already has its own traffic and contains unlimited business opportunities. Looking at the whole, this will also be an important part of this "economic ledger", which is another form of simplicity.

Since the first commercial operation of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which successfully turned losses into profits, every time an international sports event arrived, the host country would conduct market-oriented operations through commercial sponsorship, television broadcasting rights, event tickets, licensed goods, and other means to cover the expenses generated by the event.

In this regard, the Hangzhou Asian Games can learn from it. For example, carefully designing and developing cultural and creative products to attract athletes and audiences from all over the world to bring back beautiful memories; For example, encouraging Zhejiang enterprises to seize the opportunities of the Asian Games, carry out creative marketing, and leverage the opportunity to promote Zhejiang manufacturing and Zhejiang brands to the world.

Transforming "heritage" into assets.It has been proven that the most abundant legacy of the Beijing Winter Olympics is the participation of 300 million people in ice and snow sports.

The Hangzhou Asian Games will also leave behind many visible and invisible "Asian Games legacies". Making good use of these precious "legacies" is a more profound connotation of the "minimalist Asian Games". At present, various regions in Zhejiang are exploring according to local conditions, such as Ningbo's exploration of using sailing as a fulcrum to leverage the development of the marine economy; Wenzhou has transformed the idle corner plots of the city into fitness parks, creating a "check-in destination" for sports enthusiasts, and so on.

Simplicity goes beyond the Asian Games. Simplicity is not only the concept of organizing the Asian Games, but also a development and lifestyle concept. Currently, China's economic development and urban construction have shifted from extensive growth to intensive and high-quality development. Simplicity, rather than simplicity, will become the key word for future economic transformation, development, and organic urban renewal.

Meanwhile, simplicity also represents an emerging way of life and values. Each of us can start with small things around us, such as bringing our own water bottles and green travel while watching games, spreading and practicing the concept of "minimalist Asian Games" in our daily lives.

Organizing a simple Asian Games is a necessity of the times and the aspiration of the people. The simplicity of the Hangzhou Asian Games not only explores new paths for sustainable development and contributes Chinese solutions to the world, but also conveys the wisdom of simplicity to all corners of the world.