An abandoned quarry is set to feature in one of the world’s largest continental games with some of sport’s biggest stars.
The Asian Games will launch the opening ceremony on September 23, but several events, including cricket, football, volleyball, and beach volleyball, will begin on September 23.
Hangzhou will host the 19th iteration of the tournament, which features 61 sporting disciplines across 56 venues for 481 gold medals.
How does quarrying impact the Asian Games?
The Shaoxing Keqiao Yangshan Sport Climbing Centre has been built to represent the area’s quarrying heritage and silk industry. The centre is situated on the grounds of an abandoned quarry site.
The stadium takes on the features of a silkworm cocoon with views of the natural rocks from when the area was a productive quarry region.
According to reports from China Daily, the quarry supplied rocks to build the ancient city of Shaoxing under Goujian, a king from around 770-476 BC. This means the quarry could date back close to 1500 years.
It is the first time since 2018 that the continental games will be held due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The previous games were held in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.
The event will have a bearing on the upcoming Olympics, with nine sports having Olympic quotas available for Paris 2024.
The Asian Games run from September 23 to October 8 in China.