Qingdao, also known as Tsingdao, is a coast city
550-kilometer southeast of Beijing with an urban population of
2.7 million. Possessing China's fifth largest port, Qingdao hosts
an array of China's big brands like Hair and Qingdao Beer.
Qingdao was declared Beijing's partner city to bid for the 2008
Olympic Games in July of 2000, a year before
Beijing's overwhelming victory in Moscow on July 13, 2001.
In
2008, eleven of the Games' all together 302 golds will be
decided from the sailing competitions in Qingdao.
Local government of Qingdao moved a shipyard out from downtown seaside
and started the counstruction of the Qingdao International Sailing Centre
in April, 2004.
The Centre covers a total area of 45 hectares (450,000 sq.m.), two
thirds of which will be utilised for the competitions.
The whole project is comprised of the Land Area, and the Harbor and the
Off-shore Section. The projects on land will provide the administration and
competition management centre, the athletes' centre, the press centre, the
logistic and functional centre, and other affiliated facilities as well.
The Harbor and Off-Shore parts will focus on the engineering of the major and
secondary breakwater, an embankment, a quay featuring the Olympic Memorial Wall,
and the renovation of the shore wall.
Bird's eye view of the
sailing venue's central section.[BOCOG] |
The
quay, the secondary breakwater, and the embankment will enclose an area of 15.5
hectares (155,000 sq.m.) while the major breakwater, together with the
embankment, will occupy 7.5 hectares (75,000 sq.m.).
Additional overlay and facilities will also be placed for temporary use of
the Games. A removable surveying shed and a pontoon, for instance, will be set
up separately on the embankment and the western quay to facilitate observations
and transportation.
