The Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics Press Conference was held at the Beijing Olympic Museum on the afternoon of 24 July 2024. Gao Yunchao, Deputy Director of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre, announced the theme on behalf of the host of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics and took questions from the media. Other high-ranking officials who answered media questions included Ren Jianghao, Deputy District Mayor of Yanqing District; Tian Jun, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Sports; and Guo Zhiwei, Vice Chairperson of the CPPCC Zhangjiakou Municipal Committee and Director of the Zhangjiakou Municipal Bureau of Sports. Ji Chuanpai, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre, moderated the press conference.

（Group photo of the press conference）

In his speech Gao Yunchao said that this year marks the tenth anniversary of the national strategy of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development. Following President Xi Jinping’s instructions on making the most of the legacy of the Games and accelerating the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt, the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre has worked closely with other departments to implement the plans set in the 13th Beijing Municipal CPC Congress, fully tap the Olympic legacy and leverage its role in driving the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, and carry forward the Olympic legacy in a sustainable way. Priority has been given to the building of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt to advance the coordinated development of sports, culture and tourism in the region, thus injecting new vitality into the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development. In August last year, the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre released the Annual Plan for Advancing the Development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt jointly with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports and the Zhangjiakou Municipal People’s Government. The Plan calls for joint efforts in six areas, including establishing the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Olympic legacy coordination and support mechanism, strengthening international exchanges and cooperation, collaborating on Olympic museums, and promoting public fitness activities. Among them, the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics is an important task set in the Plan.

（Gao Yunchao delivers a speech）

The Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics is launched by the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre jointly with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, the Chaoyang District People’s Government, the Changping District People’s Government, the Yanqing District People’s Government and the Zhangjiakou Municipal People’s Government. The goal is to, in the next several years, jointly build a self-service track connecting the three competition zones in Beijing and Zhangjiakou and integrating such functions as leisure and fitness, hosting of sporting events, Olympic culture experience, tourism and sightseeing, so as to meet the people’s ever-growing needs for cycling, running, hiking, cross-country and other sports. Sports culture brands will also be fostered to support the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt.

The Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics starts at the Beijing Olympic Village and the Yanqing Olympic Village, with a total length of 236.3km. There are 19 service points and three distinctive hot sites along the route, passing by some core Olympic venues and well-known scenic areas in Beijing and Zhanjiang, such as the Beijing Olympic Green (Beijing Olympic Museum), Juyongguan Great Wall, Badaling Great Wall, Beijing Expo Park, Yanqing Olympic Village, Haituo Valley, Snowland and the National Ski Jumping Centre.

（Route of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics）

During the Q&A session, Gao Yunchao introduced the progress and highlights of the project. He said that the four key tasks in the next three years or so will be to create a unified wayfinding and signage system, develop a self-service sports service system, set up comprehensive service points and carry out a series of activities. Lin Cunzhen, designer of the official emblem of the Beijing 2022 Games, created a logo for the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics. The overall route design has been completed, and three landmarks featuring Olympic elements are designated as distinctive hot sites, namely, the Beijing Olympic Museum, the Yanqing Live Site of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and the Yanqing Medals Plaza. Wayfinding signs have been set up in some sections. As to the development of a self-service sports service system, a WeChat mini programme will be officially launched soon. Users can search the “Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics” mini programme on WeChat to get access to the related services. So far, 19 comprehensive service points have been planned, some with a unified look and service standard. These service points will provide a range of services such as food and drinks, accommodation, catering, healthcare and emergency response. Four events have been included into the first series of activities, namely, the Chicheng 100 Cycling Tour, Hood to Coast China, the Great Wall 330 X-BIONIC and the Sunshine Youth Challenge.

（Ji Chuanpai moderates the press conference）

（Logo of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics ）

Ren Jianghao briefed on the work being done by Yanqing District. He said that the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics is in high alignment with the development goals of Yanqing District and received great importance from the district. Eight suitable sites for the project were selected in the first place. Based on the route of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics, Yanqing District will enrich its service offerings for outdoor sports, leisure tourism, study tours, summer retreat and wellness and strengthen the synergy and sharing among cultural, sports and tourism industries, redouble efforts in post-Games use of the Olympic legacy, leverage ecosystem strengths to build the brand of Beijing Expo Park, and further tap into the resources of the Great Wall to spread the culture. Moving forward, Yanqing District will collaborate closely to improve supporting facilities such as catering, accommodation, healthcare, sightseeing and photo-taking along the Yanqing section of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics. The district will provide a diverse range of cultural tourism products centred on high-quality sporting events and activities to promote the Olympic spirit and advance the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt.

（Ren Jianghao takes questions from the media）

Tian Jun elaborated on the work being done by Hebei Province to connect the fitness trails in Beijing and Zhangjiakou. He pointed out that the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee, the Hebei Provincial People’s Government and the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Sports have set store by the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, a major national strategy. Connecting the Beijing-Zhangjiakou fitness trails is a key part of the push to promote the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development in sports and accelerate the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt. This year Hebei and Beijing have invested RMB3 million in the smart track construction of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics, which will inject new impetus into Beijing-Zhangjiakou collaborations on the post-Games utilisation of Olympic venues and regional coordinated development. In the second half of the year, the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Sports will work with the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre and Zhangjiakou to carry out a series of activities, integrate such business forms as culture, tourism, commerce and entertainment with the sporting events and promote the integrated development of sports, culture, commerce and agriculture. These efforts will fully tap the fitness trails to stimulate sports consumption and boost regional development.

（Tian Jun takes questions from the media）

Guo Zhiwei introduced the preliminary work for the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics and the events and activities to be carried out. He said that in the last year, with the support of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre, the government of Zhangjiakou and relevant departments of Beijing signed the Strategic Cooperation Agreement on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt and jointly promoted the integrated development of sports, cultural, and tourism industries, achieving remarkable results. The Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics marks a new milestone in Beijing-Zhangjiakou cooperation. Up to now, the self-service system for sporting events has been developed with the input of Zhangjiakou. Currently, 12 comprehensive service points have been designated in Zhangjiakou and are being decorated for a unified exterior design. Decorations for unified visual identity have been completed at five service points. Meanwhile, 25 wayfinding signs and surface painting at 60 sites have been finished. Four events are scheduled to take place in Chicheng County of Zhangjiakou from August to October this year.

（Guo Zhiwei takes questions from the media）

（Exterior design drawing in Zhangjiakou）

（Painted track in Zhangjiakou）

At the end of the press conference, Gao Yunchao briefed on the work carried out by Changping District and Changping District regarding the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics. Noting the rich legacy left to Chaoyang District by Beijing 2008 and the Beijing 2022 Games, he said that the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics starts at the Beijing Olympic Village in Chaoyang District, passing by the three landmarks of Beijing Olympic Village, the Beijing Olympic Park Central Area and Beijing Olympic Forest Park, and comprehensive services will be provided for sporting events and cycling activities along the route. As to route design, Changping District recommended Juyongguan as a primary service point, along with multiple secondary points. In the future, relevant departments of Changping District will make full use of the district’s natural resources to plan and organise various mass sports activities, improve service facilities and bolster the development of local sports, cultural and tourism industries.

（Group photo of the press conference）

（A journalist asks questions）

According to the host, the press conference marks the beginning of a new stage for the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics, which will see the hosting of various sporting events, more service points and better service and supporting facilities. The dedicated mini programme will be upgraded. With the continued concern from all sectors of society and the concerted efforts of relevant departments, the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics will pool resources and strengths to promote the integrated development of the sports, cultural and tourism industries, contribute to the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt and lend new momentum to the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development.

 Transcript of the Press Conference on the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics:

Start Time: 2:30 p.m., 24 July 2024

Venue: Multifunctional Hall of Beijing Olympic Museum

Ji Chuanpai, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre:

Dear media friends, ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon! Welcome to the press conference on the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics. We are holding this conference today to share with the media more information about the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics and will take questions you are interested in.

To begin with, please allow me to introduce the speakers at today’s press conference. They are:

Mr Gao Yunchao, Deputy Director of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre

Mr Ren Jianghao, Deputy District Mayor of Yanqing District

Mr Tian Jun, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Sports

And Mr Guo Zhiwei, Vice Chairman of the Zhangjiakou Municipal Political Consultative Conference and Director of the Zhangjiakou Municipal Bureau of Sports

Also with us today are leaders and guests from the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, Chaoyang District, Changping District, Yanqing District, the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Sports and the Zhangjiakou Municipal Bureau of Sports.

They are Shi Yingli, Level II Division Rank Official of the Industry Department of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports; Wang Huan, Deputy Director of the Industry Management Centre of the Chaoyang District Bureau of Sports; Zhang Baoli, Deputy Director of the Changping District Bureau of Sports; Hou Lin, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Yanqing District Bureau of Culture and Tourism; Ma Xuan, division-level official of the Office of the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Sports; and Huang Jianjun, member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Zhangjiakou Municipal Bureau of Sports. I will not introduce other guests one by one here due to time constraints.

First of all, let’s invite Mr Gao Yunchao to introduce to you the background of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics.

Mr Gao Yunchao, you have the floor.

Gao Yunchao, Deputy Director of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre:

Thank you. Dear media friends, good afternoon! It’s a great pleasure to meet you at today’s press conference. Let me first give you a brief introduction of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics.

Two years on, the legacy of the Beijing 2022 Games has continued to play an important role in promoting the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the national strategy of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development. Following President Xi Jinping’s instructions on making the most of the legacy of the Games and accelerating the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt, the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre has worked closely with other departments to implement the plans set in the 13th Beijing Municipal CPC Congress, fully tap the Olympic legacy and leverage its role in driving the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development, and carry forward the Olympic legacy in a sustainable way. Priority has been given to the building of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt to advance the coordinated development of sports, culture and tourism in the region, thus injecting new vitality into the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development. In August last year, the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre released the Annual Plan for Advancing the Development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt jointly with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports and the Zhangjiakou Municipal People’s Government. The Plan calls for joint efforts in six areas, including establishing the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Olympic legacy coordination and support mechanism, strengthening international exchanges and cooperation, collaborating on Olympic museums, and promoting public fitness activities. Among them, the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics is an important task set in the Plan.

The Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics is launched by the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre jointly with the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, the Chaoyang District People’s Government, the Changping District People’s Government, the Yanqing District People’s Government and the Zhangjiakou Municipal People’s Government. The goal is to, in the next several years, jointly build a self-service track connecting the three competition zones in Beijing and Zhangjiakou and integrating such functions as leisure and fitness, hosting of sporting events, Olympic culture experience, tourism and sightseeing, so as to meet the people’s ever-growing needs for cycling, running, hiking, cross-country and other sports. Sports culture brands will also be fostered to support the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt.

The Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics starts at the Beijing Olympic Village and the Yanqing Olympic Village, with a total length of 236.3km. There are 19 service points and three distinctive hot sites along the route, passing by some core Olympic venues and well-known scenic areas in Beijing and Zhanjiang, such as the Beijing Olympic Green (Beijing Olympic Museum), Juyongguan Great Wall, Badaling Great Wall, Beijing Expo Park, Yanqing Olympic Village, Haituo Valley, Snowland and the National Ski Jumping Centre.

In the next three years or so, we plan to create a unified wayfinding and signage system, develop a self-service sports service system, set up comprehensive service points and carry out a series of activities. We will continuously improve the multifunctional self-service track of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics

That’s all for now. Thank you.

Ji Chuanpai:

Okay. Thank you, Mr Gao, for your introduction. Now the floor is open to our media friends. Please feel free to ask questions, and before you do, kindly state the name of your news agency.

Question (1):

Beijing Daily (Zhuo Ran): Could you please introduce how the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics project is going? What are the next steps?

Ji Chuanpai:

Okay. This question will be answered by Mr Gao Yunchao.

Gao Yunchao:

Thank you for your question. Based on multiple on-site surveys and discussions, we launched the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics project with other departments in November 2023. Drawing on the mature experience of similar projects at home and abroad, we finally determined the four key tasks of the project, namely, create a unified wayfinding and signage system, develop a self-service sports service system, set up comprehensive service points and carry out a series of activities. Let me give you a brief introduction to the work progress in these four aspects over the past year.

The first is to create a unified wayfinding and signage system. We invited Lin Cunzhen, designer of the official emblem of the Beijing 2022 Games, to create a logo for the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics. The core graphic elements of the logo are composed of arcs and circles. The arc shapes are inspired by concepts such as tracks, movement trajectories and tourist routes, while the circles are abstract representations of bicycles, cars, coordinates and individuals. The colour system of the logo is based on the Olympic rings, conveying the message that the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics inherits and carries forward the Olympic spirit in the post-Olympic era. The design of the supporting graphics is derived from the logo itself, featuring a combination of arc and circular patterns. These magnifying patterns symbolise the sporting spirit embodied in the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics.

Next, we completed the route design. As mentioned earlier, the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics starts at the Beijing Olympic Village and the Yanqing Olympic Village, with a total length of 236.3km. There are 19 service points and three distinctive hot sites along the route, passing by some key Olympic venues and well-known scenic areas in Beijing and Zhanjiang, such as the Beijing Olympic Green (Beijing Olympic Museum), Juyongguan Great Wall, Badaling Great Wall, Beijing Expo Park, Yanqing Olympic Village, Haituo Valley, Snowland and the National Ski Jumping Centre.

Finally, on the basis of the above two areas of work, we set up wayfinding signs along the route, including setting the start and end points of the main line, mileage signs, general guide signage and some slogan signs. In combination with the self-service sports service system, there are QR code signs and photo-taking devices at the service points, allowing participants to easily share and interact with their friends.

The second is to develop a self-service sports service system.The mini programme will officially go live soon. You can search the “Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics” mini programme on WeChat to get access to the related services. The homepage of the mini programme offers such features as “Route Download”, “Tracking & Navigation” and “Sign-in.” In the event registration section, sports enthusiasts can find all the information about the events taking place on the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics. In the self-service section, you can access real-time weather updates, as well as practical information on emergency services, accommodation and dining options. These features are designed to address the various practical needs of sports enthusiasts during activities such as cycling, running, hiking and cross-country races, providing them convenience and support in the most user-friendly way. Additionally, the mini programme includes a leaderboard section, which features rankings based on points, popular routes and mileage. This enables users to keep track of their activities and provides a real-time interactive ranking experience. By incorporating social interaction scenarios, the feature aims to help users expand their social circles and connect with like-minded friends.

The third is to set up comprehensive sports service points.At present, we have planned and set up 19 service stations along the main route, including Beijing Olympic Village, Beijing Olympic Park, Beijing Olympic Forest Park, Juyongguan Great Wall, Badaling Great Wall, Beijing Expo Park, Yanqing Olympic Village, Haituo Valley, Pingbei Memorial Hall of Anti-Japanese War, Dexiang Hotel, Diao’e Hotel, Mingyue Xiangju, Chicheng Hot Spring Resort, Russian Home Bistro, Sissi House, Sissi House · Village E5 Reception Centre, Amazing Snowland (Xinxueguo), the National Ski Jumping Centre (dubbed the “Snow Ruyi”) and Zhangjiakou Olympic Village. Among them, the exterior design and service standards have been unified for some service points, and overall renovation and upgrade have been completed. These service points will provide sports enthusiasts with comprehensive services including supplies, accommodation, distinctive catering, medical care and emergency response, helping ensure their safety and giving them a peace of mind and a comfortable experience.

In addition to the service points, we also set up three distinctive hot sites, namely, the Beijing Olympic Museum, Live Site of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and the Yanqing Medals Plaza. All these locations are filled with Winter Olympic elements and home to the iconic Winter Olympic cauldrons of the three competition zones. The goal of the three distinctive hot sites is to integrate the dual Olympic culture into the project and allow people to scan the QR code to sign in, share with their friends and together feel the charm of the Olympic culture.

The fourth is to carry out a series of events. At present, we have incubated and introduced  a series of events based on this track. The four events in the first bath are the Chicheng 100 Cycling Tour, Hood to Coast China, the Great Wall 330 X-BIONIC and the Sunshine Youth Challenge. The routes pass through seven towns in Chicheng County. These events are scheduled to take place from August to October this year, covering cycling, mountain climbing, marathon and other sports, with the length ranging from 100 kilometres to 355 kilometres. People can compete as individuals or teams.

We are confident that as we proceed with the above four areas of work, the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics project will see more improvements and grow mature.

In terms of the wayfinding and signage system, we will set up more signs on each section to facilitate cycling. There will be more branch lines along the route, and we will set up start and end points, mileage signs, branch guide signage and functional service signboards. The distinctive photo-taking sites will be integrated with tourist attractions, so people can fully enjoy the fun of sports, culture and tourism altogether.

In terms of the mini programme, we will add healthcare, local specialties, sports equipment and other types of content to the self-service section, so as to provide greater convenience and support for users and meet their practical needs. Additionally, we will enhance the sharing and interactive features and further increase social interaction scenarios to make it easier for users to connect with like-minded sports enthusiasts.

In terms of sports service points, we will continuously promote the renovation and upgrading of service points along the route, further unify the exterior design and service standards, and improve their comprehensive service and support functions to make people’s journey safer and more enjoyable.

As to events and activities, I believe that with the continuous improvement of the track and service quality, we will develop more high-quality events with local characteristics that are highly appealing to the public.

In short, as our work proceeds, we are confident that the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics project will become a unique business card to help the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sports Culture Tourism Belt in the future, attracting more people to participate in national fitness and experience the Double Olympics culture and The charm of Chinese traditional culture will also promote the sustainable development of the economy along the route, so that the Winter Olympics legacy will benefit more people along the route.

Thank you.

Ji Chuanpai:

Next question, please.

Question (2):

Beijing Radio and Television Station (Wang Jingwen): Could you please introduce the preparatory work that Zhangjiakou has carried out for the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics, as well as the upcoming events and activities planned in conjunction with the project?

Ji Chuanpai:

Okay. The floor is yours, Mr Guo.

Guo Zhiwei:

with the support of the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre, the government of Zhangjiakou and relevant departments of Beijing signed the Strategic Cooperation Agreement on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt and jointly promoted the integrated development of sports, cultural, and tourism industries, achieving remarkable results. The Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics marks a new milestone in Beijing-Zhangjiakou cooperation. The construction of this smart track mainly includes five key areas: the development of the self-service system  for sporting events, the setup of comprehensive service points, wayfinding signs, surface painting and event preparations.

Up to now, the self-service system for sporting events has been completed and is undergoing system testing. The system not only includes everyday features such as registration, timing and check-in, route download, navigation, weather forecasting and user geolocation, but also offers a range of additional features including points redeemable for medals and online reservation for sports equipment, medical supplies, meals and drinks, raincoats, thermal blankets and other materials. It also provides social interaction features such as membership display and rankings. This system will be officially launched after the press conference.

Currently, 12 comprehensive service points have been designated and are being decorated for a unified exterior design. Decorations for unified visual identity have been completed at five service points, namely, Haituo Valley, Dexiang Hotel, Diao’e Hotel, Chicheng Hot Spring Resort and Sissi House · Village E5 Reception Centre. The work is expected to be completed by 5 August.

Meanwhile, 25 wayfinding signs and surface painting at 60 sites have been finished.

In terms of event preparations, we will organise a series of events popular with the general public along the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sports, Culture and Tourism Belt, with a focus on cycling, running, cross-country and relay. The Chicheng 100 Cycling Tour, Hood to Coast China, the Great Wall 330 X-BIONIC and the Sunshine Youth Challenge are scheduled to be held in Chicheng County from August to October.

Ji Chuanpai:

Next question, please.

Question (3):

The Beijing News (Wu Wei): Could you please introduce the preparatory work that Yanqing District has carried out for the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics, as well as the upcoming events and activities planned in conjunction with the project?

Ji Chuanpai:

Okay. District Mayor Ren Jianghao will take the question.

Ren Jianghao:

I’d like to thank all media friends for your continued attention and support to Yanqing District.

Located at the foot of the majestic Great Wall and by the banks of the beautiful Guishui River, Yanqing District is one of the three competition zones of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 2022 Beijing. The Great Wall, the International Horticultural Exhibition and the Winter Olympics are the three world-class “calling cards” of Yanqing District, all characterised by excellent outdoor resources. In 2023, Yanqing District proposed the development goal of building a district strong in outdoor sports. The Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics is in alignment with this goal. Yanqing District attaches great importance to the project. The district’s culture and tourism bureau took the lead and coordinated with the sports bureau and key scenic areas and towns to select eight sites that are endowed with outstanding resources and meet the criteria for the service points.

These eight sites, stretching from north to south, traverse the urban area of Yanqing. They deeply integrate with landmark scenic areas of the three “calling cards” and the rich tourism resources in surrounding areas, offering a combination of functions like rest, dining, sightseeing and accommodation. They can meet the diverse needs of outdoor sports enthusiasts and tourists. Among them, the Beijing Yanqing Winter Olympic Village Resort Hotel, located at the foot of the 1,000-metre-high Haituo Hill, is surrounded by forests and has a cool climate, so it is an ideal place for summer retreats. Adjacent to it, Xidazhuangke Village is the only village near the Yanqing competition zone of the Beijing 2022 Games. Songyan Road, known as one of the ten most beautiful rural roads in China, passes through the village, making it an ideal choice for hiking and cycling. Many households in the village operate homestays that provide catering and accommodation services. Continuing eastwards along Gulong Road, you can reach the Zhangshanying Town Central Area Leisure Sports Park, which is equipped with hiking fitness greenways and extreme sports facilities, offering a variety of activities such as cycling, land surfing and family entertainment. Heading into the heart of the district along Kangzhang Road, you can arrive at Beijing Expo Park, where visitors are recommended to experience activities like natural exploration, physical training and running at night. In August and October, Yanqing will host two large music festivals here. Visitors can stay in nearby high-star hotels and enjoy activities like hot spring play, indoor family entertainment and more. Continuing south along Guichuan Road, you can reach the Badaling Ski Resort. Every winter, this place holds activities combining the Great Wall culture, intangible cultural heritage and New Year’s traditions, offering visitors and skiing enthusiasts a unique “ice and snow” experience. Heading south along the G6 side road, you can arrive at Xibazi Village in Badaling Town, which provides catering, accommodation and medical services, among others. For cycling enthusiasts, it’s recommended to continue along the Nanshan ring road to reach the Great Wall Guan Gou Trail  (from Sanbao Village to Shifosi Village in Badaling Town), where you can explore the “Seventy-Two Scenic Spots of Guan Gou”. Heading along Shuiguan Road, you can arrive at the last stop in Yanqing, the Badaling Great Wall Scenic Area. Climb the wall to take in the magnificent scenery inside and outside the Great Wall. Don’t forget to take a photo in front of the monument inscribed with “You are not a hero until you climb the Great Wall” (attributed to Chairman Mao Zedong). The visitor centre, medical room and other service facilities here are well-equipped. There are also multiple shops and diverse performances, offering one-stop services for sightseeing, shopping and dining.

Focusing on the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics, Yanqing District has vigorously enriched offerings in outdoor sports, leisure, parent-child study tours, summer vacation, wellness and other fields, and strengthened the synergy and sharing between the cultural, tourism and sports industries.

First, enhance the utilisation of venues and make good use of Winter Olympic assets. We accelerate the renovation of Yanqing Olympic Park, upgraded the Winter Olympic Village Hotel, and launched activities such as alpine slides, hiking in the valley and photo-taking sites. We also introduced high-end events and successfully hosted ten international and domestic high-level ice and snow events and ten mass ice and snow events. The influence of Yanqing District as a world-famous ski resort is continuously growing.

Second, leverage the district’s ecological advantages to foster brands on the basis of the International Horticultural Exhibition. We continuously enrich supporting services such as night tours and performances and host the two flagship events of the Beijing International Garden Festival and the Beijing Expo Park Lantern Festival. In 2024, we held the Fourth Beijing and Zhangjiakou All Season Sports Tourism Carnival (Yanqing) and Beijing International Cycling Festival and launched our featured events such as the 2024 Beijing-Zhangjiakou Road Cycling Open and the 2024 Beijing Expo Park Night Cycling.

Third, tap the resources of the Great Wall and carry forward its rich culture. According to the Action Plan for Improving and Upgrading Tourism in Yanqing District of Beijing, the infrastructures along the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics were upgraded. We launched the first large-scale immersive performance “Dream of the Great Wall”, held a series of flagship cultural activities such as the Great Wall Culture Festival and the Great Wall Concert, and organised the 2024 National New Year Mountaineering Festival (Beijing) and the 2024 Olympic Day Ultra-Trail Great Wall.

In the next step, Yanqing District will closely cooperate with the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre to improve supporting facilities such as catering, accommodation, healthcare, sightseeing and photo-taking along the Yanqing section of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics. We will continue to enrich our cultural, tourism and sports offerings centred on high-quality events and activities, promote the Olympic spirit, and contribute to the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sports, Culture and Tourism Belt.

Finally, on behalf of Yanqing District, I extend a sincere invitation to outdoor sports enthusiasts and visitors from both home and abroad to come and explore our district. We will welcome guests from all over the world with our quality resources, comfortable environment and thoughtful services.

Ji Chuanpai:

Next question, please.

Question (4):

Hebei Daily (Yang Mingjing): Could you please introduce what work Hebei Province has done so far in connecting the Beijing-Zhangjiakou fitness trails, and what are the plans and ideas for the next steps?

Ji Chuanpai:

Okay. Director Tian, please answer this question.

Tian Jun:

To begin with, I would like to thank all media friends for your concern and attention to the connectivity of Beijing-Zhangjiakou fitness trails. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development is a major national strategy. the CPC Hebei Provincial Committee and the People’s Government of Hebei Province, including the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Sports, have attached great importance to the fitness trails. Hebei has excellent natural resources, cultural resources and sports resources, including world-class Winter Olympic venues and high-quality sports facilities. With the support of Beijing and Tianjin, we have done a lot of work in sports coordination and  achieved fruitful results. You are welcome to take a tour of Hebei and help promote our province.

Connecting the Beijing-Zhangjiakou fitness trails is a key part of the push to promote the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development in sports and accelerate the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sport, Culture and Tourism Belt. Last year, the Hebei Provincial Bureau of Sports allocated more than RMB6.8 million in special funds to support Zhangjiakou in building the Chicheng County Haituo Valley Hiking Trail, the Chicheng County Food Marathon Trail, the Huailai County Guanting Wetland Park Fitness Trail, the Yangyuan County Fitness Trail and the Zhuolu County Riverside Sports Park Trail. The total length of the five trails is 99.9 kilometres. This year, together with Beijing, we plan to spend RMB3 million in supporting the development of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics smart track along the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sports Culture and Tourism Belt. The smart track has a total length of 133.1 kilometres, connecting Yanqing Olympic Village, Zhangjiakou Olympic Village and key tourist attractions along the route. It is expected to inject new vitality into Beijing-Zhangjiakou cooperations on promoting the utilisation of Winter Olympic venues and regional coordinated development and add a new highlight to the tourism resources of Hebei, as reflected in the slogan – “Close and beautiful as Hebei is, enjoy your weekends here”.

Fitness trails should be built up to high standards and put to good use. In the second half of the year, we will cooperate with the Beijing Olympic City Development Centre and Zhangjiakou City to organise a series of events, including the Chicheng 100 Cycling Tour, Hood to Coast China, the Great Wall 330 X-BIONIC and the Sunshine Youth Challenge. At the same time, we will integrate such business forms as culture, tourism, commerce and entertainment with the sporting events and promote the integrated development of sports, culture, commerce and agriculture. These efforts will fully tap the fitness trails to stimulate sports consumption and boost regional development. We believe that through joint efforts, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou fitness trails will set an example for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development in sports and contribute to the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region.

Thank you.

Ji Chuanpai:

Next question, please.

Question (5):

Hebei Radio and Television Station (Li Nan, Duan Guopeng): We have just learned about the relevant work carried out in various regions along the route. Could you please introduce the work done by other districts and counties in Beijing, for example, Changping District and Chaoyang District, in the early stage of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics project.

Ji Chuanpai:

Okay. This question will be answered by Mr Gao Yunchao.

Gao Yunchao:

Thank you for your question.

The Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics starts from Beijing Olympic Village in Chaoyang District. Beijing 2008 and the Beijing 2022 Games left valuable legacies to Chaoyang District. In the preparatory phase of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics, Chaoyang District focused the route planning on the Beijing Olympic Park Central Area based on the project plan and requirements, spanning Beijing Olympic Village, the Olympic Central Area and Beijing Olympic Forest Park. These three locations were core areas of the Beijing 2008 and the Beijing 2022 Games. Along the route are numerous commerce, cultural, tourism and other public facilities, including Beijing Olympic Village, the National Stadium, Beijing Olympic Park, Beijing Olympic Forest Park, U Park and Xinao Shopping Centre. These can provide a full range of services for future events and activities, for example, self-guided cycling.

Based on the development of Olympic infrastructures and related projects, the Beijing Olympic Park Central Area has become a vibrant and eco-friendly international centre for sporting events and a modern sports and cultural centre integrating culture, sports, exhibitions, tourism, science and technology and commerce. In the future, Chaoyang District will fully exploit our advantages to continuously improve the service facilities along the route and better serve the people’s needs for sports, leisure and entertainment.

Changping District was regarded as “a pivotal place near the royal court” in Chinese history. The Ming Tombs and Juyongguan Great Wall are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites, and Xiaotangshan Town is a well-known hot spring destination. Changping District has a bond with the Olympics as it hosted the triathlon events of Beijing 2008. As to the route design of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics, Changping District recommended Juyongguan as a primary service point, along with multiple secondary points including the Grand Canal Source Site, the Ming Tombs, the Yinshan Pagoda Forest Scenic Area and Yanshou Temple. In the future, relevant departments in Changping District will make full use of the district’s natural resources to plan and organise various mass sports events, improve the service facilities and promote the development of sports, culture and tourism in our district. This is why we have launched the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics to promote the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sports, Culture and Tourism Belt.

Today’s press conference marks the starting point of the Joyful Road of the Winter Olympics project. I believe that as various events are delivered, there will be more service points along the route, the service and supporting facilities will continue to improve, and the mini programme will be upgraded. With ongoing attention from all sectors of society and the concerted efforts of relevant organisations, we are confident that we can leverage the resource advantages of all stakeholders to build the country’s first multifunctional self-service sports track and contribute to the development of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Sports, Culture and Tourism Belt.

Ji Chuanpai:

Okay. Due to time constraints, we will conclude today’s press conference here. I would like to express my gratitude to the four speakers and to all our media friends for your participation. Goodbye.