Winter games under sanitary bubble, "the Olympic atmosphere" in the parks in Beijing
Audio 02:37
Advertising billboards for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Yuyuantan Park, Beijing, China on January 8, 2022. (Illustrative image) Future Publishing via Getty Imag - Future Publishing
By: Stéphane Lagarde Follow
3 min
Beijing is just over three weeks away from the Winter Olympics, which kick off on February 4.
How are Beijingers preparing for the event amid tighter health restrictions?
Report in a park in the capital, where residents are invited to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the Olympics.
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From our correspondent in Beijing,
Snow castles like we make sand castles with shovels and plastic buckets like at the beach, tongs to make balls in the shape of balloons or duck heads ... The crowd of Saturdays of blue sky was , this weekend, in the park of the “Leisure pavilion”, south of Beijing, laid out like winter sports.
"
I have the impression that there are a lot more people this year,
" rejoices
this thirty-something who seems to be having as much fun as his children.
We came to slide on the big tires, there is a big queue.
"
Big tires covered with fabric, the 30 seconds of sliding on a mound is obviously worth arming yourself with patience.
A snow merry-go-round, a small train, an ice rink, these attractions were already there before the Covid, but this year, it is special, estimates this security officer in a shopping center who came, he says, for "
the atmosphere Olympic
”.
"
This is the first time that we have come to this winter games park,
" continues the security officer.
My daughter wants to slide on the track and maybe then we'll take the little snow train.
We have never been here before, my daughter was too small and the last two winters were plagued by the Covid.
Now that the situation is under control, we can come out.
Now is the right time to get in the Olympic mood.
"
Yes, “
the Olympic Games are coming to the capital's parks
” repeat the banners with slogans in large blue characters.
In recent weeks, the state media have mobilized goodwill and skills.
Contests, official videos… Mrs. Lee Jinfei wields the “flower stick” with virtuosity: a stick with large balls of woolen colored at the ends, the tradition of which goes back, it seems, to more than 3,000 years. His troop was selected to animate several districts of the capital at the time of the games. “
We started rehearsals three months ago, after the selection,
” says Lee Jinfei.
We will do this show in several districts, because we won the first prize in the Beijing Sport and Society competition. 'The ice dances, the snow burns' is the name of our performance.
"
Madame Lee no longer sleeps thinking about her choreography for D-Day. Proud of her city, proud to host the Games, like these two retirees from a renowned dance group who also came to train in the park and filmed them by Beijing News. "
The games involve the mobilization of each and every neighborhood,
" confides one of them.
With dance, we want to help welcome the event. It is also to show that Chinese citizens are full of enthusiasm and optimism.
"
We do that for sport usually, but here, we also express our pride to host the Olympics for the second time
" explains this other retiree. “
Well after, it's not the same atmosphere as in 2008. The Covid had a terrible impact
»Resumes the first.
Terrible impact of the health crisis which cut off northern Beijing and the Olympic infrastructure from the rest of the inhabitants.
Unlike 2008, Covid obliges, the Games will take place under cover, in a "
closed loop
" as the authorities say, not allowing any contact between the delegations and the population.
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