Hangzhou’s high-tech presentation paves the way for ‘smart’ Games in 2022

Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, is already looking forward to staging the Asian Games in 2022.

The city will be the third in China to host the showpiece event, which is held every four years, after Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, in 2010.

The Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee has promised an event of the “highest possible standards”, and sent delegations comprising nearly 260 members to Jakarta to learn from and observe the Games there, which ended on Sunday.

“We assure you we will meet the highest possible standards in staging a special edition of the Asian Games with Chinese grandeur, Asian style and a Hangzhou flavor,” Xu Jianfeng, deputy director of international relations with the Hangzhou organizing committee, said at the 37th Olympic Council of Asia General Assembly in Jakarta.

An eight-minute presentation during the closing ceremony on Sunday in Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta provided a glimpse of what sports fans can expect in Hangzhou.

The presentation featured all the elements of ancient Chinese history and culture, and highlighted Hangzhou’s technological achievements, serving as a reminder that “smart” will be a keyword at the 2022 Games.

Five high-tech screens that can rotate 360 degrees were used for the presentation.

Chen Yan, the chief artistic designer, said it was the first time the high-tech screens had been used for such a display, which had surprised audiences in the stadium and around the world.

“The screens were the height of a five-story building and their general structure was like that of a huge industrial robot. Through a new artificial intelligence control system, they could move and respond to different content, which we call ‘dancing robots’.”

The screens are just a small part of the technological achievements seen in Hangzhou.

The city is home to many of China’s technology companies, including Alibaba, whose cofounder and executive chairman, Jack Ma, appeared during the presentation in Jakarta and sent a warm welcome to fans around the world.

Olympic Council of Asia honorary life vice-president Wei Jizhong, from China, said, “Hangzhou is famous for its high-tech companies, and there are many more in the country. I believe that they will together help 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 competitive environment for the athletes. Second, we have to provide a more convenient Games for everyone.”

Wei said it had been proposed that a single card be used at the Games in Hangzhou, providing ID confirmation, hotel room access, and even to cover expenses. “There are many new things that are even beyond my imagination that could surprise us all,” he said.

The 2022 Asian Games are being promoted as a “green, smart, economical and ethical” event, so apart from the “smart” approach, making the Games as green and economical as possible is also a main concern for organizers.

The total cost of staging the Games in Jakarta was estimated at $3.2 billion. The work involved renovating most venues, including the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium, which first opened in 1962.

Wei said, “It was a very difficult problem, because Indonesia took over hosting the Asian Games in 2014, but until 2016 much of the work had not been done.”

He said the Olympic Council of Asia wanted the event to run smoothly and on time but could not allow the organizers to spend too much money, so this meant using existing venues.

“To stage a successful major sports event, it’s important to have government help, a great market and support from all aspects of society,” Wei said.

Speaking of major forthcoming events, including the Hangzhou Games, he suggested that preparation work should take into account a city’s development footprint, and past experiences and venues that have already been built.