200-day countdown held to welcome 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou

(ECNS) -- A series of celebrations to mark the 200-day countdown to the 19th Asian Games was launched in Hangzhou on Monday, the day after the closing ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games.

"We have about 70,000 to 80,000 staff and volunteers so we'll hold the biggest Asian Games in its history. The Beijing Winter Olympics just ended and set a very good example for us so we are looking forward to it," said Chen Weiqiang, Hangzhou 2022 deputy secretary general and vice mayor of Hangzhou.

In order to capture classic moments of the Asian Games organization, on the countdown even the Hangzhou 2022 Organizing Committee issued a public collection draft for Asian Games collections of special significance. It also released souvenirs for volunteers, a tailored official jade seal and stamps.

In the evening, in West Lake, Hangzhou, the sky was lit up by about 1,000 UAVs. A light show plus a music performance attracted many citizens to join the celebration.

Five co-host cities, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Huzhou, Shaoxing, and Jinhua also held a variety of sports and cultural countdown activities.