BEIJING, Aug. 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — A news report from China.org.cn on the green sporting events that China hosts:
In the blazing summer heat, a gentle breeze will greet you as you walk into the delegation service center of the Chengdu FISU Games’ Village. However, such coolness does not come from air conditioning. Architects drew experience from China’s traditional architectural design “leng xiang,” meaning “cold alley”, and designed the hall into a semi-open passage that features two wide ends and a relatively narrow corridor in the middle. Such layout channels in natural wind which accelerates ventilation and cools down the environment. This smart design could save electricity enough for up to twenty households to live a year.
At the currently ongoing Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games, there are more designs that embody the same philosophy as the cold alley. For example, in the water polo venue — the Xiangcheng Sports Center, roofs, pavements and landscaping are all designed to help gather rainfall into the underground collector, where the rainwater could be processed and reused for watering landscaping. This process can save as much as 3,000 tons of water per year. In Dong’an Lake Sports Park, a “forest” of submerged plants that are hardy and alkaline tolerant thrive at the bottom of the lake. These plants supply enough oxygen in the lake, which helps with the biodiversity in this underwater ecosystem. With better water quality and improved ecology in the lake, freshwater jellyfish, a rare animal that demands premium water bodies, were spotted in the lake.
While “green” is the theme color of these grand designs, the philosophy of low-carbon and eco-friendly are also reflected in many details: The blue and white “low-carbon magic cubes” allow people to trade in recyclable waste like empty bottles and used paper cups for “carbon credits,” which could be exchanged for gifts once a certain threshold is hit, an act that incentivizes people to lead a low-carbon life. On the bottled water provided to all the athletes and staff, a special “mark-up” area was printed on the labels, to prevent water waste resulting from people not knowing which bottles belonged to them and throwing them away.
What’s worth noting is that, the 300 or so chairs in the press release rooms of the Universiade’s Main Media Center went through a long journey — they are rented from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics MMC. This low-profile interaction of the two sporting events echoes again with the buzzwords “green” and “sustainable,” principles adhered to by China for years when hosting sporting events.
Last year, the Beijing Winter Olympics achieved 100% carbon neutrality, where all venues were powered by 100% renewable energies; during the preparation for the games, the valuable wildlife leopard cats were captured multiple times in the Alpine Skiing Center, bearing proof to the fruit of the eco-environmental protection efforts. The upcoming Asian Games will also see this green trend live on.
Hosting “green games” has become a natural undertaking for China’s event committees. Innovative technologies empower sustainable development, which guarantees the consistent application of low-carbon philosophy in day-to-day life, not just during sporting events. With sporting events as platforms, sustainable and environment-friendly facilities are in place, which encourages citizens to continue low-carbon lifestyles. A single event can spearhead a city, sometimes even a country in becoming “greener.”
As more sporting events are hosted in China under the theme of “green,” the philosophy of harmony between humanity and nature is becoming the status-quo bit by bit.
China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm
Why green has become the theme color for China-hosted sporting events?
http://www.china.org.cn/video/2023-08/04/content_98502229.htm
