12 | Tuesday, June 23, 2020 CHINA DAILY

Timeline

Sept 16, 2015: Hangzhou won the bid to host the 19th Asian Games, becoming the third city in China to host the quadrennial continental event after Beijing and Guangzhou.

Dec 12, 2017: The construction on venues for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 began.

Jan 29, 2018: The official website for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Organizing Committee went online.

August 6, 2018: The emblem of the Games, named Tides Surging, was unveiled.

A bird’s­eye view of the main stadium for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games. CFP

Sept 2, 2018: A cultural performance named City seeks upgrading through Hangzhou Time was staged at the closing ceremony for the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Dec 26, 2018: organization of global event The marketing program for the Games was officially launched by organizers. By YUAN SHENGGAO Paradise on Earth taking shape to be a sports gala in the future designing opening and closing cere­ monies, and building sports venues April 8, 2019: Hangzhou should seize the oppor­ and the Asian Games villages, The Hangzhou Asian Games tunities brought by the 19th Asian advanced technologies such as 5G, was confirmed for Sept 10 to 25, Games Hangzhou 2022 and the 4th artificial intelligence and blockchain 2022. Asian Para Games Hangzhou 2022 to are expected to be applied to empow­ upgrade the city in an all­around way, ering the event digitally, according to Dec 15, 2019: said a top official of the city. the plan. Zhou Jiangyong, Party secretary of Also, as a home to a myriad of time­ Hangzhou, the host city of the Games, honored cultural items, Hangzhou made the remarks at a meeting on hopes to display its long history and April 17. profound culture via an exhibition Hangzhou in East China’s Zhejiang hall, the plan stated. province won the bid to host the Through the international Asian Games in September 2015, event, Hangzhou hopes to show­ becoming the third city in China to case its culture of harmony and The slogan for the Games, host the quadrennial continental civilization to the world, which “heart to heart, @future”, was event, after Beijing in 1990 and makes the government include cit­ released at a celebration activity Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong izens’ etiquette into the plan of for 1,000­day countdown to the province, in 2010. upgrading the city for the Games. event in Hangzhou. The Hangzhou Asian Games will The culture of the Asian Games be held in the city from Sept 10 to 25 will be promoted at schools, com­ in 2022 and the Hangzhou Asian Para munities as well as villages, and Games are scheduled to take place institutions and companies. from Oct 9 to 15, 2022. As many as 100 schools featuring By organizing the international sports education will be created in April 3, 2020: sports event, Hangzhou will speed up Hangzhou, according to the plan. The mascots of the Games, the building of a world­renowned city Sheikh Ahmad al­Fahad al­Sabah, president of the Olympic Council of Asia, inspects venues for the In addition to the overall plan, a Congcong, Lianlian and Chenchen, with distinctive features, according to Hangzhou Asian Games in November 2018. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY detailed action scheme about the were introduced to the public at an the official. construction of a barrier­free online ceremony in Hangzhou. An overall plan stating the detailed environment was released on arrangements for the upgrading of having etiquette, more livable and development, the city is striving to co­hosting cities of the Games, will June 4, noting that by 2022, the the city from eight perspectives was smarter with intelligent and green attract headquarters and branch offi­ design a service system for inte­ city, which is home to 500,000 also released at the meeting. Zhou technologies adopted in the event ces of international institutions, grated rail transportation and pro­ handicapped people, will have a said the plan, aiming to push forward organization and more open with sports organizations and transna­ vide more convenience for people world­class and barrier­free envi­ with the city development, is necessa­ global exchanges and cooperation tional corporations. to get to Shanghai Pudong Inter­ ronment with complete policies, ry for Hangzhou to make high­level activities held. As the integrated development national Airport, one of the busiest standards and facilities. preparations for the Games, to shore Hangzhou plans to organize more of the Yangtze River Delta region airports for international flights in up the confidence of people and to than 1,500 events and activities each has been elevated to a national China. April 17, 2020: improve global competitiveness and year and construct about 30 new strategy, Hangzhou pins more As stated in the plan, a batch of Scan Hangzhou issued an overall influence. sports venues for the public, accord­ hopes on the interconnections public spaces for outdoor activities, the code to plan, stating its ambition to seize In general, he noted that to host the ing to the plan. Moreover, each dis­ with other areas in the delta including match watching, will be learn more the opportunities brought by the Games, Hangzhou will be more amia­ trict and county in the city will build a region, such as Shanghai, for fur­ authorized to operate citywide. about the Games to upgrade the city in an ble with city functions improved, park themed on the Games. ther development. Hangzhou is a city boasting a coun­ Games! all­around way. more civilized with every resident To promote Hangzhou’s global Hangzhou, along with other try­leading digital economy. When High­quality preparations in full swing for Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022

By YUAN SHENGGAO Venue construction al and technical prowess of Hangzhou the participation of 33 franchised According to the Hangzhou Asian embodied in the designs. manufacturers in areas such as noble The 19th Asian Games Hangzhou Games Organizing Committee, con­ Chen Weiqiang, deputy secretary­ metal, silk, stationery and clothing, 2020 will be held from Sept 10­25, struction on 42 of the 58 venues and general of the Games’ organizing com­ and 16 offline stores and one online 2022 in Hangzhou, capital of East auxiliary facilities for the Games, mittee and vice­mayor of Hangzhou, franchised retailer store, as well as a China’s Zhejiang province. China which represent more than 85 per­ said they hope the three mascots will shopping platform on television. Daily is teaming up with the organiz­ cent of the total construction work, serve as the envoys of the Olympic A television media information ing committee of the Games to focus on will be completed by the end of 2020. spirit, extending a warm welcome to platform, named Asian Games the preparation and facts around the Since February, projects for the people from Asia and the world. At the Channel, was jointly founded by Hangzhou Asian Games. Games resumed construction after same time, visual products for the the organizing committee and the coronavirus was largely con­ 2022 Asian Para Games were released Hangzhou Culture Radio Televi­ When the curtains on the 18th trolled in China. to the public, mirroring the core mes­ sion Group in May. Asian Games fell in Jakarta, Indone­ On May 18, construction of the key sage and aesthetic of those for the It has the aim of recording the city’s sia, in September 2018, the quadren­ structures for the main stadium and Chen Weiqiang, deputy secretary­general of the HAGOC and Hangzhou Asian Games. preparations for the Asian Games and nial continental event was officially the indoor swimming pool in the vice­mayor of Hangzhou, attends a ceremony to mark the launch of promoting the brand of the event, as announced to have entered Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, the specially­designed stamps for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou Marketing program well as the image of the host city. “Hangzhou time”. which will be used for the Games as 2022 on May 18, 2019. Chen sends stamps to people around the The organizers of the Games It marked the start of an intensive the main venue, passed inspection. world as invitations to the Hangzhou Asian Game in 2022. launched an official marketing pro­ Schedule preparatory phase for the Games in Now, the focus of the main venue gram in December 2018, calling for The draft of the agenda, an indis­ Hangzhou, dubbed “paradise on construction will be turned to the The Games has three villages. The and the glowing red sun of the Olym­ partners from around the world. pensable part of the event organiza­ Earth”. Hangzhou, capital of East Chi­ interior, including decoration and athletes village is expected to serve pic Council of Asia, the emblem As of today, the event has estab­ tion, has been compiled and will be na’s Zhejiang province, will become equipment. 10,400 athletes and team officials. embodies the characters of the current lished partnerships with eight enter­ submitted to the OCA for confirma­ the third city in China to host Asia’s In addition, co­hosting cities in The media village is to hold 5,000 reg­ times and the Olympic spirit. prises, including e­commerce giant tion in the second half of 2020. The prime sports gala, after Beijing in Zhejiang, including Wenzhou, Ning­ istered media workers and the tech­ In a congratulatory response to the Alibaba Group, auto manufacturer making of plans for competitions, vic­ 1990 and Guangzhou, capital of bo and Huzhou, are to support the nical officials village is designed to launch of the emblem, OCA President Geely Group and the Industrial and tory ceremonies and other activities South China’s Guangdong province, Games with accelerated construction receive 3,800 technical officials. The Sheikh Ahmad al­Fahad al­Sabah Commercial Bank of China. is also underway. Preparations for the in 2010. on sports venues. villages will be completed by the end described it as dynamic and said it On March 10, the organizing com­ opening and closing ceremonies, an The 19th Asian Games will be held In the coastal county of Xiangshan, of 2021. highlighted all the unique aspects of mittee began invitations to sponsors opportunity to display the host city’s from Sept 10­25, 2022 and prepara­ Ningbo, the construction of the Asian the city of Hangzhou. and suppliers. charm and interconnection of Asian tions for the Games in the city are in Games Sailing Center has seen new Emblem, slogan, mascots The official slogan of the Games is They are expected to come from the countries, will move forward in 2020 full swing. Upholding the concept of progress with the roof­sealing of the The emblem for the Hangzhou “heart to heart, @future”, which was fields of internet safety, internet of with teams of directors confirmed. organizing the event in a green, land venue completed, and a break­ Asian Games, which is called Tides announced in December 2019. It things technology, photography, vide­ On Sept 10, 2019, the organizing com­ smart, economical and ethical way, water to protect the shore from waves Surging, was officially launched in reflects that in the digital era, people ography, nonalcoholic beverages, trav­ mittee initiated a campaign to solicit Hangzhou is pushing forward with being built. August 2018 and was the first visual from all over the Asian continent are el services, Western­style fast food and ideas and proposals for the closing high­quality preparations for venue According to the plan made by element of the event to be unveiled. connected with each other. household kitchen appliances. They and opening ceremonies for the 19th construction, visual products, mar­ organizers of the Games, all 45 com­ Consisting of six elements: a Chi­ Mascots for the event, Congcong, will also be entitled to certain rights, as Asian Games. By the end of January, keting programs, agenda, opening petition venues are expected to be nese fan, the Qiantang River, a tidal Lianlian and Chenchen, were well as priority in negotiations. The it had received a total of 104 creative and closing ceremonies. built by March 2021. bore, a running track, the internet icon unveiled in early April with the cultur­ organizing committee has confirmed proposals.

This page is sponsored by the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 Organizing Committee.