1 . On 4 February 2022, the Olympic cauldron was lit, signalling the start of Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. The events of the Games will take place in a combination of brand new structures and existing venues.

National Aquatics Centre

The iconic indoor venue in combination with its box-like design, earned it the moniker, “The Water Cube” ,which has been transformed into the “Ice Cube” in preparation for the Curling/Wheelchair Curling competition (Paralympic Winter Games). The multi-purpose venue will continue to be used for both winter and summer sports, switching between the two depending on the season.

Wukesong Sports Centre

After staging the basketball tournament at the 2008 Olympics, the Wukesong Sports Centre has successfully been used as a multipurpose arena in the years since. With a capacity of 18, 000 spectators, it will serve as the main indoor venue for ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Games alongside the National Indoor Stadium.

Big Air Shougang

Arguably the most unique venue of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is Big Air Shougang, which is the world’s first permanent venue for Big Air and will stage the freestyle skiing and snowboard Big Air competitions at the Games. Following the Winter Olympics, the venue will be used for various sports competitions and athlete training, as well as cultural and civic events.

National Speed Skating Oval

The National Speed Skating Oval is the only new venue built on Beijing’s Olympic Green for the Winter Olympics. Unsurprisingly, the National Speed Skating Oval-bearing the nickname “The Ice Ribbon”-will host the speed skating competition at Beijing 2022. The stadium was built on the site of the Olympic Green Hockey Field used for field hockey event and the Olympic Green Archery Field used for the archery event in summertime.

4 . After months of expectation and secrecy, the official mascot (吉祥物) of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games－a giant panda-inspired cartoon character－made its first public debut with cheers at Beijing's Shougang Ice Hockey Arena.

The panda is named “Bing Dwen Dwen” in Chinese. Bing means “ice” in Chinese, while Dwen Dwen suggests “health and cleverness”－characteristics also shared by pandas. Pandas are perhaps the most recognized animal species in China, organizers said.

“Pandas combine China's traditional culture and its modern appearance together with winter sports elements in a fascinating image (形象) that shows our great expectations for the Games and shows that we welcome the world,” said Beijing Mayor Chen Jining, who also serves as an executive president on the organizing committee.

“I have already seen the mascot and from what I've seen, it’s a wonderful choice,” IOC President Thomas Bach said before introducing the character.” “The mascot really takes in the best elements and characteristics of China and the Chinese people. It will be a great ambassador (大使) for the country and the 24th Winter Olympics.”

The ring of light surrounding the mascot’s face is suggestive of ice and snow tracks, as well as the flowing “ribbons” of the National Speed Skating Oval. The oval is one of two new competition sites in downtown Beijing expected to become a landmark of the Games, according to its chief designer Cao Xue.

The introduction of the mascots marks the key point of a journey that began in August 2018, when Beijing organizers started a global design competition for the mascots. A total of 5,816 designs were received from 35 countries, and were reviewed by Chinese and international experts in a comprehensive evaluation and selection process.

The new mascot will serve as spirited symbol of the Games that will take place in the three zones of downtown Beijing, the suburban district of Yanqing and co-host city Zhangjiakou in surrounding Hebei province.