Guangzhou City and its Asian Games Town provide a model site for the 16th Asian Games through its sustainably developed venues and facilities.
Sun Xiuqing, undersecretary of the Communication & Promotion Department of the 16th Asian Games Organizing Committee, said they focused on the long-term use of the sports venues and high efficiency of business operations, and avoiding the waste of resources was paramount.
Seventy venues are available for the Games, and 58 have been reconstructed; only 12 are new. According to the organizing committee, the main parts of 11 new venues have been completed, and environmentally friendly and energy-saving materials were used. Eighty percent of the sports venues in Guangzhou are accessible by subway, so after the Games the facilities will remain viable.
In addition, the committee made significant efforts to make the Games a low-carbon event, such as installing solar-powered heat pumps to supply hot water, according to Asian Games Town Project Manager Zhu Tao.
Located in the south of Guangzhou, the Asian Games Town has seven major parts, including the Athletes' Village, the Technical Officials' Village, the Media Village, the Main Media Center, the Logistics area, the gymnasium, and the Asian Games Park. Each of them is independent. It's the first time in Asian Games' history that seven functional parts have been constructed in one area.
The Asian Games Town was designed with the purpose of long-term service to the public after the Games; therefore, a plan is already set to transform the Town into a residential community.
Guangzhou hosts the 16th Asian Games this year from November 12-27. More than 14,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions will compete in 42 sports with more than 3 million spectators expected to attend.
(By Yang Xi)
