The warm sign reading “Welcome Home” is a recurring sight in the FISU Games Village in Chengdu, the bustling host city for the impending World University Games. Nestled in the heart of Chengdu University, the village marks a distinctive milestone as the first University Games Village to be located on a university campus in the history of the Universiade, a fact proudly pointed out by Deng Lina, who oversees the Welcome Center, Main Accreditation Center, and Village Pass Center.
Sprawling across an expansive 800,000 square meters with a built-up area of 600,000 square meters, the village encapsulates four main zones – the Residential Zone, Operational Zone, International Zone, and Transportation Zone. A testament to sustainable practices, the buildings within the village are renovated existing structures, Deng informed the Global Times.
Post the Games, the village will be reintegrated into the academic framework of Chengdu University, with all the structures and facilities purposed for educational endeavors. The delegation apartments, which were once student dormitories, comprise 6,522 rooms, designed to comfortably accommodate up to 11,000 occupants. Each room ranges between 21-25 square meters, featuring both single and twin-bed options. Adhering to the FISU standards, delegation heads and deputy heads will be housed in single rooms, while athletes will be assigned double rooms, elaborated Dai Dayong, the deputy manager for accommodation services.
Echoing green and low-carbon concepts, the operations at the village prioritize sustainability. The guiding principle is to refrain from purchasing equipment that can be rented and avoid renting items that can be borrowed. Should the need for purchasing arise, the team ensures that the equipment will find utility post-Games, emphasized Dai.
Dai went on to highlight how several pieces of equipment like TVs, fridges, and beds were rented, while washing machines were provided by sponsors, all of which will be returned after the Games. Beyond accommodation, the village caters to an array of needs, offering a wide variety of facilities to ensure a pleasant stay for the delegates in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province.
The 2,100-square-meter commercial center houses a barber shop, grocery store, and provides services like postal and currency exchange. Meanwhile, the dining center, a transformed student canteen, caters to the culinary needs of the delegates, offering four meals a day across 20 operational hours.
For those seeking physical activities, the village encompasses a fitness center, basketball and volleyball courts, and a swimming pool. Adding a unique touch, athletes and FISU staff celebrating their birthdays between July 22 and August 11 will receive a special 3D printed mini-figure of themselves, compliments of the Sci-tech Services Workstation.
Foreign athletes and staff are also given the opportunity to delve into traditional Chinese culture within the village, engaging with China’s intangible cultural heritages like shadow puppetry, rope weaving, kite making, paper cutting, Hanfu (traditional Chinese attire), and Chinese calligraphy. Through these immersive experiences, the village aims to endear participants to the charm of traditional Chinese culture, said Ning Ke, the cultural activity manager at the Interactive Experience Center.
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