Award ceremony rehearsal conducted at Beijing Medals Plaza

BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Medals Plaza of the Winter Olympics is ready for the Games after it held a comprehensive award ceremony rehearsal on Monday.

The Beijing Medals Plaza is a temporary outdoor non-competition venue which is located between the National Stadium (Bird's Nest) and the National Aquatics Center (Ice Cube).

Venue media manager Wei Xiaomei said that the Medals Plaza is a main cultural feature that distinguishes the Winter Games from the Summer Games.

"In the Summer Games, as soon as the competition is over, an award ceremony will be held for the athletes in the competition venue. However, during the Winter Olympics, a souvenir ceremony for winning athletes will be held in the competition venue first, and then an award ceremony will be held for them in the Medals Plaza. Before and after the ceremony, cultural exhibitions will be held," Wei said.

The design concept of the main stage at the Beijing Medals Plaza is "embracing diversity."

Qin Zheng, director of live performances on the medal presentation stage, said that the igloo is a core visual element of the stage design. Athletes from all over the world will gather at the Medals Plaza during the Olympic Winter Games to celebrate their accomplishments.

The Beijing Medals Plaza will be open for 14 days, February 6 to 19, 2022, and host victory ceremonies of 32 events in the Beijing Competition Zone while victory ceremonies at the Beijing Medals Plaza and the Zhangjiakou Medals Plaza will be broadcast live to the world alternately every day, according to organizers.