Main Media Center of Hangzhou Asian Games starts trial operation

Photo taken on Sept. 1, 2023 shows the Main Press Center (MPC) for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

HANGZHOU, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- With around two weeks before the 19th Asian Games open in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, the Main Media Center (MMC) was put into trial operation on Saturday.

During the trial operation which runs from September 9 to 17, members of the media bound for the Hangzhou Asiad can activate their media accreditations at the Hangzhou East Railway Station, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, MMC and Asian Games Village.

Located near the main stadium of the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center, where the Games' opening ceremony will take place, the MMC includes the Main Press Center (MPC) and International Broadcasting Center (IBC).

As an important non-competition facility of the Games, the MMC provides over 10,000 accredited journalists, photographers and broadcast personnel with services including arrival and departure, transportation safeguarding, translation and interpretation, catering, and goods and materials rental.

Huang Haifeng, chief of the MMC, said the layout of the MMC started on March 23 and was completed on July 15, and everything has been in place since the MMC team conducted various drills from August 15.

For Xu Qing, executive head of the MMC, the trial operation marks the beginning of full game-time operation of the MMC.

The MMC will officially open on September 18, according to the organizing committee.

The 19th Asian Games will take place between September 23 and October 8, featuring a total of 40 sports.

It will be the third Asian Games held in China, following Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.