BEIJING - Athletes coming to this summer's Olympics will eat in a cafeteria big enough to seat 5,000, will enjoy showers heated by a modern solar power system and, in this officially atheist nation, can worship in a new prayer center designed to accommodate the world's most popular religions.
Those are some of the marquee features of the Beijing Olympic Village, prospective home to 16,000 athletes and officials when they attend the Olympic Games in the Chinese capital in August.
During a preview Wednesday of the nearly completed village, organizers allowed hundreds of reporters to peek inside two minimally furnished but stylish apartments to show how six to eight athletes will share the three- and four-bedroom suites.
The savvy Chinese developer who built the eco-friendly housing plans to transform these simple six- and nine-story sports dormitories into luxury condos when the games are over. Even though they won't be available until at least the end of 2009, all the units are reportedly sold, said Yu Debin, deputy director of the village.
"If you want to buy one today, you won't be able to," Debin said.
They are popular with people looking for good location, good environment, and proximity to the Olympic landmarks. Built just about a block from the futuristic competition venues and abutting a park billed as the largest urban ecological garden in Asia, this Olympic Village embodies the spirit of the hot Chinese economy, organizers said.
In addition to such Olympics-related projects as the new airport terminal and subway lines, this residential complex - which broke ground in summer 2005 - has helped change the landscape of rural suburbs.
"A few years ago this area was mostly farmland," said Yang Qiangguo, 53, a Beijing resident and police officer assigned to protect the apartments. "The people who lived here have all been relocated and given new apartments."
The stadiums that rose from the earth look otherworldly.
The National Stadium is designed to look like a bird's nest made from braids of twisting steel. It seats 91,000 spectators and will host opening and closing ceremonies. The National Aquatics Center, which will host the swimming and diving events, looks like a giant blue box with plastic molecules bubbling on the surface. It has been nicknamed the Water Cube.
Beijing city officials say the total cost for the competition venues is about $1.8 billion, with funding coming from government money, private investors and donations.
A 20,000-seat arena for gymnastics was paid for by an anonymous Chinese donor who wrote a check for $65 million, according to Jeff Ruffolo, senior adviser to the Beijing Olympics Committee and the only American in that capacity.
"Nothing in this country is too unbelievable," said Ruffolo, adding that about 6,300 local residents had to be relocated to make way for the new sporting venues. "The ability to get things done here is really staggering. In Los Angeles it would take endless discussions to build any structure. Here they decided to do it, and kaboom! It happens."
The Chinese people have galvanized behind this event to showcase the new China.
