A staff member of the Olympic Village took the following photos before the formal opening of the village, posted on netease.com, via wenxuecity.com:
Early-arriving Athletes from China and other nations already have settled in the village’s nine thousand apartments. Chinese authorities say they will try to accommodate all participants’ living habits, lifestyles, cultural backgrounds and religions.
The Olympic athletes’ village is about one kilometer from the main Olympic stadium, known as “the Bird’s Nest” for its distinctive architecture, and the landmark Water Cube aquatic center.
The 66-hectare complex has 42 residential buildings, and other facilities include a restaurant serving up to 6,000 people at a time. About 2,700 Chinese chefs will work alongside 100 foreign chefs preparing food for four main dining “zones” – Chinese, Asian, Mediterranean and international, and officials say the menu will include halal, vegetarian, low-sugar, kosher and Indian selections.National-team officials also will stay in the village, along with Olympic officials ranging up to International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge.
The athletes’ village will be open through August 27, three days after the Games’ closing ceremony, and then will reopen from August 30 to September 20 for the Paralympics.