Slick, smart and sustainable venues put Shaoxing in spotlight

Besides primary host city Hangzhou, this year's Asian Games competitions will also be staged in neighboring Ningbo, Wenzhou, Huzhou, Shaoxing and Jinhua.

Shaoxing Keqiao Yangshan Sport Climbing Center is among a number of gleaming new venues ready to host the action.

The center, spanning over 10,000 square meters and capable of seating 2,100 spectators, looks like a cocoon when viewed from above. The sport climbing competition will be held there from Sept 15-19, with six gold medals up for grabs.

The design of the venue is inspired by a silkworm cocoon, a cultural symbol of the silk industry in Jiangnan water towns. The center combines silky elegance with striking aesthetic lines to evoke extreme sports such as rock climbing.

The venue is located close to Yangshan Stone Buddha Scenic Area, which is characterized by a stone landscape, and humanistic and religious values.

"The site of Yangshan Sport Climbing Center was originally an abandoned mine. During the development process, a large rock on the west side of the venue was discovered, which is now preserved and represents the ideas of ecology and economy," explained Wang Rongfang, head of the project department at the Keqiao District Education and Sports Bureau in Yangshan Sport Climbing Center.

The Shaoxing Baseball & Softball Sports Center has 5,000 fixed seats in its main stadium. The center is partly covered by a steel membrane that provides shelter for certain activities.

The ripples on the top reflect the characteristics of Jiangnan Water Town. Baseball games will be held there from Sept 12-18, with softball following from Sept 18-24.

After the Asian Games, the stadium will become part of a community that showcases innovative concepts on health, architecture, and low-carbon living.

"People's pursuit of a healthy and high-quality life is consistent with the concepts associated with sports," said Zhu Chengfeng, general manager of Shaoxing Future Community Development and Construction Co. Ltd.

Zhu believes the Asian Games present an opportunity to promote baseball and softball in China, as well as improve the quality of people's daily lives.

Unlike the two new stadiums, the Shaoxing Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium was built in 2014, but it has been transformed into a state-of-the-art "smart venue".

"We have carried out many renovations, including the improvement of security and fire prevention," said Wang Rongjun, director of Shaoxing Olympic Sports Center.

Wang added that smart upgrades are a major highlight of the renovation, including a screen hanging above the stadium that can present real-time pictures, scores and information about competitions.

A brand-new suspended wooden floor can be adapted to suit various requirements and requests for ball sports.

Shaoxing Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium will be the venue for the women's basketball group stage from Sept 7-15.

In addition to these three venues, China Textile City Sports Center and Jianhu Soccer Training Ground will host competitions in Shaoxing during the Games.

With low-carbon operations and sustainable development at their core, all five venues in Shaoxing were powered on in late January.

All the indoor light at the venues is generated by energy-saving lamps, according to Qi Lingfeng, director of the Qixian Power Supply Institute, which is part of the national grid.