Stadium Completed 'Size of 11 Soccer Fields'... Hangzhou, China Buzzes Ahead of Asian Games

[Report] Preparations for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China
The third-ever Summer Asian Games hosted by China
Container gyms built throughout the city
Consumption boosted with Digital Yuan coupons

"Welcome to Hangzhou, filled with the exciting atmosphere of the Asian Games! (精彩紛呈亞運情， 杭州歡迎?來)"

Xiaoshan International Airport in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, where the Asian Games will be held on September 23, was already buzzing with excitement in anticipation of welcoming distinguished guests. The official mascots of the Hangzhou Asian Games, 'Chongchong (琮琮)', 'Lianlian (蓮蓮)', and 'Chencheng (宸宸)', appeared throughout the airport, extending warm greetings.

With this being the first large-scale international sports event held since China’s transition to a "with-COVID" policy, Hangzhou and Zhejiang Province have entered full preparation mode. They are focusing on boosting urban vitality by issuing consumer coupons worth trillions of won and significantly expanding sports facilities for the general public.

The eSports stadium located in Gongshu District, Hangzhou, covers an area equivalent to 11 soccer fields (approximately 80,000㎡). The spaceship-shaped building stands 24 meters tall and has about 4,500 indoor seats.
(Photo by Kim Hyunjung)

“Eleven Soccer Fields” Mega Stadium... Expected to Become an eSports 'Sanctuary'

The Hangzhou Asian Games is the third summer Asian Games hosted by China, following the 1990 Beijing Asian Games and the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. Originally scheduled for last year, the event was postponed by one year due to the spread of COVID-19. A total of 45 countries, including South Korea, Japan, and India, are expected to participate, with 40 sports and 482 events taking place.

The most eye-catching event this time is eSports, which has been officially included as a sport for the first time. For South Korean national representatives, winning a gold medal grants military exemption benefits, so when the entry list for games such as League of Legends (LoL), PUBG Mobile, Street Fighter 5, and FIFA Online 4 was announced on the 21st, it became a hot topic domestically.

On the rainy 24th, the eSports stadium in Gongshu District, Dongbeimen, Hangzhou, was visited. The venue is so large that it is difficult to take in all at once, covering an area equivalent to 11 soccer fields (about 80,000㎡). The spaceship-shaped building stands 24 meters tall and has approximately 4,500 indoor seats. Construction of this stadium began in September 2020 and is currently in the final stages of completing the indoor space.

China invested a total of 1.31 billion yuan (about 253.2 billion KRW) in building this stadium alone. Nearby is the Grand Canal Ecological Park, known as the hunting ground of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and it is about 30 minutes from the Asian Games Village, making it promising for tourism effects. A Hangzhou stadium official explained, "The stadium’s spaceship design symbolizes the fusion of futuristic sensibility and traditional technology," adding, "All technologies were integrated to complete construction in just over two years."

Throughout Hangzhou city, various souvenir shops featuring the official Asian Games mascots 'Chenchen (宸宸)', 'Chongchong (琮琮)', and 'Lianlian (蓮蓮)' have opened.
Photo by Kim Hyunjung

Throughout Hangzhou city, various souvenir shops featuring the official Asian Games mascots 'Chenchen (宸宸)', 'Chongchong (琮琮)', and 'Lianlian (蓮蓮)' have opened.
Photo by Kim Hyunjung

600 Container Gyms Built and Consumer Coupons Issued

Zhejiang Province, with Hangzhou as its capital, is actively working not only on urban infrastructure development but also on boosting economic vitality through consumption promotion. According to the recently announced "Measures to Expand Consumption and Promote High-Quality Development" by Zhejiang Province, the province and Hangzhou will strengthen sports-related consumption and improve stadium infrastructure leveraging the Asian Games as an opportunity.

The main promoted sports include outdoor activities that can be enjoyed in daily life such as marathon, hiking, and camping, as well as popular recent sports like sailing, windsurfing, wakesurfing, and discus throw. Notably, 600 container-type gyms for the general public will be newly established within this year. These gyms will be installed in commercial streets and parks to enhance accessibility.

Additionally, to simultaneously revitalize urban tourism and promote digital yuan consumption, consumer coupons worth 15 billion yuan in digital yuan form will be issued. These coupons can be used not only for purchasing game tickets but also at nearby restaurants, sports goods stores, and paid sports facilities around the stadium. Furthermore, Hangzhou plans to expand tax benefits related to the purchase of new and used new energy vehicles and aims to install about 10,000 electric charging stations to improve the urban environment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.