A glimpse of the Beijing Olympic Village (photos attached)

Updated：2007-07-20

(BEIJING, July 20) -- What would the Beijing Olympic Village look like? It will be the world's "First Village" during the Olympic Games in 2008, a journalist of People's Daily says.

Occupying a space area of 66 hectares and located at the northeast corner of the Olympic central area, the village is adjacent to the Olympic Green in the north and the cluster of Olympic venues in south. During the Olympics in August next year, it will be home to over 16,800 athletes, coaches and officials of national teams.

The village is divided into residential and international quarters. The residential area, the main component, will not only have apartments, but also a clinic, a restaurant, a multi-functional library, an entertainment center, a leisure and exercise quarter which contains fitness, swimming, tennis, basketball and walking facilities.

Covering an area of 370,000 square meters, the residential area comprises 22 six-story buildings and 20 nine-story buildings of the same style, with a per capital living area of 22 square meters.

To ensure the athletes' sweet sleep, each bed has been designed to be 2.2 meters long, and a special stool will be added to the end of the bed for giants like Yao Ming, whose body length is 2.26 meters.

Each athlete room is equipped with a wideband line, a telephone, network and closed-circuit TV programs, an infrared burglar-proof warning device and a fingerprint cock. An ID card will be issued to every athlete who can buy things online and contact family members online free of charge, and there are also places for religious worship in the village.

The 20,000-square-meter Olympic Square in the international area will be the most eye-catching spot when the 200 or so flags of the member committees of the International Committee will be waving there.