The Main Media Center (MMC) for the Chengdu World Games Photo: VCG

More than 300 participants to the 2025 Chengdu World Games, including athletes from countries such as Switzerland and New Zealand have already arrived at the games' village, also known as TWG village, following its opening on Sunday. 

The arrival of the athletes marks the first entry peak for the Chengdu World Games, which will open on Thursday. Yet, they represent only a fraction of the total participants as the TWG village is "expected to accommodate around 7,000 athletes and staff during the games," an official from the organizing committee told the Global Times on Monday. 

The village will remain open until August 18. 

Meanwhile, the Main Media Center (MMC) for the Chengdu Games will officially open on Monday. The MMC will serve around 200 media organizations and about 2,000 journalists from around the world, the organizers told the Global Times on Monday. 

In addition to work facilities, the MMC also offers book reading services, self-service coffee robots, and sells cultural and creative products of the World Games.

Divided into zones A and B, each containing a hotel, the TWG village offers comprehensive facilities such as medical clinics, multiple dining halls, fitness centers, nursing rooms, delivery stations and more to ensure athletes' needs are fully met. 

Instead of building all facilities from scratch, the design of the TWG village adheres to the same economy-first principle as the Chengdu Games. It primarily utilizes existing hotel facilities, said Wang Sen, deputy director of the TWG Village Department under the Executive Committee of the Chengdu World Games.

"To host the event in a frugal and cost-effective manner, we would always hold tight to the idea of 'renting over buying' and 'borrowing over renting' in preparation of the athletes' village," Wang said. 

In addition to sports events, the TWG village will host a series of cultural activities showcasing local cultural traditions. International athletes will have the opportunity to experience traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) services such as acupuncture and therapeutic massage, while also participating in hands-on workshops to create aromatic mugwort sachets - a classic folk medicine craft. 

Athletes in the village will have access to China' s intangible cultural heritage (ICH) through hands-on workshops featuring local Sichuan embroidery, shadow puppetry, bamboo weaving, paper-cutting and martial arts, according to the organizers.

The village will also host Chinese language learning programs, where athletes from diverse cultural backgrounds can learn Putonghua (Standard Chinese) phrases and participate in Chinese cooking classes. 

"Through our dedicated efforts, we aim to create a 'warm, thoughtful, open, inclusive, safe and secure' home for all athletes during the Games," an official from the TWG village committee told Global Times, adding that these thoughtfully curated cultural events will allow international "villagers" to deeply appreciate the charm of China's exceptional traditional culture through interactive participation.

Every evening from August 8 to 16, live music and dance performances will be held in the village where athletes can enjoy Chengdu folk and pop music, and take part in learning traditional Chinese dance, modern dance, street dance, and fitness dance.

The TWG village is equipped with cutting-edge smart technology. The "Xiao Zha Robot" that was inspired by the protagonist of China's record-breaking animated film Ne Zha will patrol the village, provide venue guidance, and perform interactive shows. 

Meanwhile, an eco-friendly smart toilet device is deployed. It is capable of operating in extreme conditions, even at - 40C without water or electricity. Additionally, the village features autonomous cleaning machines, self-driving buses, and AI-powered translation systems, enhancing convenience for athletes while showcasing China's integration of technological innovation and sports.

The Chengdu Games will feature 34 sports, 60 disciplines, and 256 events. A total of 321 Chinese athletes will compete in 152 events across 28 sports, marking China's largest participation in the history of the Games.