The 15th Beijing Olympic City Sports Culture Festival & The 5th “8·8” Beijing Sports Shopping Carnival, co-hosted by the Beijing Olympic City Development Association (BODA) and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, kicked off on August 8 at the Ceremony Square in the Central Area of the Beijing Olympic Park. Sima Hong, Vice Mayor of Beijing and Chairperson of BODA, attended the event.

In her speech, Sima Hong said that the Beijing Olympic City Sports Culture Festival and the “8·8” Beijing Sports Shopping Carnival are important Olympic legacy and signature sports consumption events in the city. To better promote Beijing as the dual Olympic city, the two events are held together this year to engage more participants and extend the events’ reach across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The two festivals, with diverse and extended programs, will enable widespread public participation.

Zhang Xiufeng, Director of the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage and President of the Olympic Museums Network, stated in a congratulatory letter that the Beijing Olympic City Sports Culture Festival has successfully encouraged more people to participate in physical exercise, promoted Olympic culture and spirit, and established Beijing, the dual Olympic city, as an international model for building a better society through sports.

The “Dual Olympic Sports Culture Caravan”, which features creative designs by the host, was unveiled at the opening ceremony, showcasing how diverse sports events and cultural activities have been woven into the public life. The caravan symbolizes the aspiration to extend the city’s Olympic achievements to more citizens across all its 16 districts, as well as the unique charm and dynamic development of Beijing as a dual Olympic city.

On the day of the opening, five themed activities were launched simultaneously, and a series of major sports events and activities scheduled for the second half of the year in Beijing were announced.