New tower shows Beijing's Olympic spirit

Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, stands for photos with volunteers near the newly named Beijing Olympic Tower on Sunday.[Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Beijing has made good on its commitment to embrace the Olympic spirit and host future Games in a sustainable way by erecting an Olympic tower on the former site of the 2008 Summer Games.

Beijing on Sunday officially named the soaring structure at the north end of Olympic Park the "Beijing Olympic Tower". It was endorsed by the International Olympic Committee.

The city was authorized to hang the five-ring Olympic icon on top to further promote the Olympic spirit in China.

Thomas Bach, president of the IOC, attended the launch ceremony together with Beijing top official Guo Jinlong and Mayor Wang Anshun.

Bach praised the city's effort to make the best of its Olympic legacy since winning the right to stage the 2022 Winter Games.

"The inauguration of the Beijing Olympic Tower with the Olympic rings sends a strong message about China's commitment to sports and to Olympic values. China can be extremely proud of the legacy of the brilliant Olympic Games in 2008," he said.

Olympic Park, north of Beijing's downtown, was designed and built to host the 2008 Summer Games. Most of the permanent venues were transformed or refurbished for multiple functions - sports, entertainment, tourism and convention and exhibition businesses.

With Beijing's preparations for the Winter Games in full swing, the completion of the new landmark amplified the city's ambition to further promote its Olympic value, said Wang, who is also the executive president of the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee.

"It offered more proof about the practicality of the Olympic legacy and spreading the Olympic spirit in China. We are committed to green, sharing, open and clean concepts as we prepare for the 2022 Winter Games," he said.

Beijing and co-host city Zhangjia-kou in Hebei province won the right last July to host the Winter Games and Paralympic Games in three venue clusters in downtown Beijing, northwestern Yanqing district and Zhangjiakou.