Watch: Asian Games 2023 Village officially opens in Hangzhou

The Hangzhou Asian Games Village was inaugurated in front of government leaders and officials of the Organising Committee on Saturday.

The venue for the 19th edition of the mega event which begins on September 23 has now been officially declared open. The Asian Games Village will accommodate athletes, officials, technical officials and media.

The VIP guests for the ceremony included Yao Gaoyuan, Mayor of Hangzhou and Vice President and Secretary General of HAGOC; Li Huolin, Director of the Standing Committee of Hangzhou Municipal People's Congress and Mayor of the Asian Games Village; and Sun Xudong, Vice Mayor of Hangzhou and Executive Mayor of the Asian Games Village.

The ceremony was also to welcome the Chinese delegation into the Asian Games Village in the first Team Welcome Ceremony of a series that will run until September 22.

The show where there was an exchange of gifts and a photo-op with athletes also had a performance by children, a drum and lion dance, while the banging of gongs announced the village open.