Ordos in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region is preparing for the 10th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities, which will be taken place on August 9 in the city.

The flame lighting ceremony of the 10th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities is held on June 12. [Photo/10mzydh.gov.cn]

The competition and demonstrations will be held in nine venues scattered three districts of the city: Dongshen District, Ejin Horo Banner and Kangbashi New District. To date, all these venues have already passed the assessment and went through practice drills.

In order to house the athletes, Ordos has built an athletes’ village of 530,000 square meters, reconstructed from public rental housing. With comprehensive services such as restaurants, meeting rooms, cinemas. teashops and book bars, the village has 6,452 rooms and can accommodate about 15,000 people. The village is in trial operation and will officially begin running on August 7.

Volunteers of the 10th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities. [Photo/10mzydh.gov.cn]

After the games conclude, the village will be allocated to local residents who meet corresponding requirements.

A total of 140,000 volunteers are already on the spot. The games’ torch was lit and started to relay on June 12, and an online relay lasting for 56 days is going on now.

The 10th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities will last until August 17, with 17 competitions and 178 demonstrations involving about 6,240 athletes. It’s the first time the games were held in a non-capital city.