Asian athletes' home away from home

Village head says there is something for everyone at the multi-dimensional facility

A bird's eye view of the Asian Games Town, which includes the Athletes' Village, the Technical Officials' Village, the Media Village, the Main Media Center, the Logistics Area, the Gymnasium, and the Asian Games Park. [Photo/Xinhua]

Located in the Asian Games Town in the south of Guangzhou, the Athletes' Village will be home to about 14,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries during the Guangzhou Asiad.

Kong Shaoqiong is the head of the village and said she is so excited to see the athletes coming and is ready to provide the best service to the residents.

"We've been prepared for four years and finally the residents are coming," Kong told China Daily.

"I hope the athletes enjoy their stay here and feel like home, so they can go to the tough competitions in the best condition. I'm looking forward to hearing good news from our residents every day," the 60-year-old said.

What service can you enjoy in the Athletes' Village? What is special about the Guangzhou Athletes' Village from previous ones? What kind of delicious food can you expect there? Kong provides a quick guide.

Concerning the different eating habits and religious practices of the athletes from Asia, the 3,892-seat dinning hall provides 24-hour service with six zones, which provide dishes from East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East as well as non-Muslim food and McDonald's.

There will be more than 800 dishes in total during the event. We will also serve the athletes with famous local snacks such as shrimp dumplings and double-skin milk.

The athletes from different countries have different religions, how can we make sure that their religious practices are fully respected?

We have a Religious Service Center in the Athletes' Village. In the center there are religious rooms for Muslims, Catholics, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists as well as meditation rooms. Religious services are available 24 hours a day during the Asiad. Nov 16 is the Muslim traditional holiday of Eid al-Adha. There will be a lot of athletes praying, so we will set up a temporary site to meet their needs.

What recreational pursuits will there be for the athletes to help them relax after their competitions?

To have fun, athletes can go to the cyber caf, video games room, DVD project room, Karaoke room, swimming pool, basketball court, tennis center, etc. There is massage service available in the fitness center. They can even learn Chinese if they want in the Village. There will be parties and performances in the evening.