Society

Asian games will have religious center

By Qiu Quanlin (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-23 08:01

Temples, churches and mosques open for guests and participants

GUANGZHOU - A religious service center will be opened to offer a place of worship for foreign participants of different faiths during the upcoming 16th Asian Games, sources with the Games' organizing committee said.

The center will have six service rooms for Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity, Catholicism and Hinduism, as well as a serenity room.

"Opening a place for religious services is in line with practices at the previous Asian Games and the Beijing Olympic Games," Lin Jianxin, director of Guangzhou ethnic and religious affairs bureau, told China Daily on Monday.

The religious service center in the Asian Games Town, at the foot of Lianhua Mountain in Panyu district of Guangzhou, will have a combined area of about 1,500 square meters, Lin said.

In addition, some 28 temples, churches and religious buildings in the city's downtown area have been designated for religious gatherings for those participating in and attending the Games, which will be held from Nov 12 to 27.

"The religious service center will cater to the followers of different religions when they attend the Games," Lin said.

Some 12,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions in Asia are expected to attend the upcoming event, according to sources with the Games' organizing committee.

Authorities have started to train workers and volunteers to work in the designated religious areas, Lin said.

Several places of worship are undergoing renovation and expansion in preparation for the Games, including the Liurong Temple, the Temple of the Great Buddha and the Mausoleum of Moslem Masters, Lin said.

For example, some old buildings of 9,500 square meters near Liurong Temple, one of four Buddhist temples in Guangzhou, have been demolished for the expansion.

The Temple of the Great Buddha, or Dafo Temple, near renowned downtown Beijing Road, will also be expanded.

Renovation and expansion of temples and churches are among the local government's urban planning projects in preparation for the Games, Lin said.

In another development, the 600-year-old Chenghuang Temple, or Town God Temple, will be restored to its former appearance after a renovation is completed before the opening of the Games.

Combining the essence of South China architecture and Cantonese folk arts, the temple needs up to 5 million yuan ($732,000) of renovation work.

The temple will be used for Taoist activities.