Beijing gears up to 'green' Olympic venues

The "Bird's Nest" model wearing green coverings attracts the audience on an exhibition (file photo)

(BEIJING, March 2) -- The "Bird's Nest," "Water Cube," Olympic Village, Olympic venues and neighboring environment of the Olympic facilities will be fully greened around May. Urban landscaping with natural flowers will also be complete in mid July.

To create a green environment for the forthcoming Games, a total of 1,026 ha of areas and roads will be laid with green plants.

So far, 90 percent of the greening works are complete, according to sources from the Beijing Administration of Landscape and Forestry.

The surrounding areas of the "Bird's Nest" have been covered with arbors, and landscaping with grass and China rose will followed in early March. The total greening efforts for the "Bird's Nest" will be completed by the end of April.

Greening efforts at the Olympic venues are not only meant to create "green Olympics" but also to implement a "Hi-tech" and "Economical" Olympic Games for Beijing. Fifty percent of the greening areas and roads near Olympic venues can be irrigated by recycled water sources. And advanced irrigation devices will be adopted to water the Olympic plants and flowers.

During the Games, flowers,supported by solid plant sculptures in the city, will be the body of the landscaping decorations.