Hangzhou gets Games face on
Jakarta exhibition entices with impressive preview of 2022 Asiad
Near the 2018 Asian Games’ main stadium in Jakarta, a unique exhibition is transporting all those who enter to the Chinese city of Hangzhou.
The presentation is designed to give visitors a sneak peek of what to expect when the Games visit the picturesque and ancient capital of Zhejiang province in four years’ time.
It’s the first time organizers of the 2022 Asiad have staged an overseas exhibition.
Contrasting with Indonesia’s tropicality, the exhibition features striking images of Hangzhou, including the serene city’s famous West Lake, as well as informing and educating visitors on Chinese history, traditional culture and the nation’s more recent achievements.
“The exhibition has attracted many local and international visitors who came to the main stadium for the Asian Games,” said Linda Zhang of Sealink Impression, which staged the exhibition.
“Many showed great interest in Hangzhou’s cultural icons, such as traditional Chinese umbrellas and folding fans. We also have interactive areas for them to experience our city, such as an area for tasting traditional Chinese tea.
“I always ask them if they know about Hangzhou, but most of them don’t and only know Beijing and Shanghai. After our introduction, however, many of them expressed that they really want to visit the city.”
The 2022 Asiad is being promoted as a “green, smart, economical and ethical” event.
The notion of a “smart” Games taps into Hangzhou’s burgeoning status as a tech hub, with the city now home to many major players of the sector, most notably Alibaba.
The exhibition plays on this theme, utilizing high-tech equipment, including a Chinese-manufactured state-ofthe-art digital screen that displays the charm of the city.
“Hangzhou is famous for its concentration of high-tech companies and there are many more in China,” said Wei Jizhong, the Olympic Council of Asia’s (OCA) honorary life vice-president.
“I believe that together they will help to present to the world a smart Asian Games in Hangzhou.
“First of all, a smart Asiad means we have to use our tech advantages to create a much fairer competition environment for the athletes. Secondly, we have to provide a more convenient event for everyone.
“I heard that there was an idea of introducing the ‘onecard system’. The card can be used as people’s ID, room card and even expense card. There are many new things that are even beyond my imagination which could surprise us all.”
Back home, Hangzhou has been engaging the public by organizing a series of campaigns with the theme of “embracing the Asian Games with new ethics”.
The city has also launched a number of sports and cultural activities at grassroots level while implementing Gamesrelated projects that benefit locals.
Keeping costs from spiralling, however, is also a concern.
Indonesia has spent an estimated $3.2 billion on this edition of the Games, and that was after making savings by renovating old venues, including the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, which was first opened in 1962.
“It’s a very difficult problem, because Indonesia took over the Asian Games in 2014, but up until 2016 much of the work had not been done,” said Wei.
The Chinese official also told media that the OCA wanted the Indonesian Asiad to run smoothly but economically, so the solution was making use of existing venues.
“To have a successful sports event, it’s important to have governmental help, a great market and support from all aspects of society,” he added.
Looking forward to future events, including Hangzhou 2022, Wei suggested that preparations should be carried out in tandem with a city’s development and stressed the importance of maintaining a legacy.