BEIJING: China on Sunday officially opened the Olympic Village that will house close to 16,000 athletes and officials during next month's Games with the host country's delegation first to check in at the heavily guarded complex.
The key to the village was handed over to its Mayor Chen Zhilli, a ruling Communist Party of China official, at the 66-hectare sprawling complex located close to the Beijing Olympics' showpiece venues, the Bird's Nest stadium and the aquatic venue Water Cube.
"We now welcome athletes from around the world to come to the Games," Chen, who is the Vice-President of the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), said.
China, which has announced the largest-ever Olympic delegation of 1,099 members, including 639 athletes, was the first to check in by raising its national flag at the village.
Athens Olympics 110 metres hurdles champion Liu Xiang and basketball star Yao Ming were among the 100 odd athletes who witnessed the ceremony.
"As athletes from the host country, I hope you will present the peaceful, civilized and open stance of China," Chen was quoted as saying by the 'Xinhua' news agency.
The village is divided into international area, residential area and operation area, with a main restaurant that can feed 5,000 people, its own fire station, teahouses, coffee shops, a barber shop, post office, shops, library and a clinic.
China, a declared atheist nation which maintains tight control over religion, has made provision for adherents of all major religions to practice their faiths at the village, which has space for religious masses.
A multi-faith centre with 66 religious staff and volunteers has been opened in the Village where services of the world's major religions, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism could be held.
Outside the village, multi-language priests and religious places are also ready to receive visitors.
China has already said free copies of the Bible would be provided to athletes, officials, spectators and tourists during Games.
With terrorism identified as the single biggest threat to the Games, China has gone all out to reinforce security at different levels for a trouble-free event.
The village is enclosed by a wall and two lines of high security fencing with strict checks in force for entry.
Beijing and co-host cities have ramped up security measures as the ruling Communist party said the terror threat was "unsurpassed" in Olympic history.
Eager to present itself as a modern rising power on world stage, China has been making preparations with single-minded devotion to the Games.
Chinese President Hu Jintao said on Saturday that "more meticulous efforts" should be made for the success of the Olympics and Paralympics, emphasising that it was a top priority for the country.
A total of 42 apartments have been built in the village with energy saving technologies, water recycling system, environment friendly construction materials and solar-powered lighting. Some apartments have been sold as up-scale residences.
The village will close on August 27 and reopen as the Paralympic Village on August 30 till September 20.
