Road to Beijing milestones

July 31, 2015－Beijing wins the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics at the 128th session of the International Olympic Committee in Kuala Lumpur, making the Chinese capital the first city in the world to host both the summer and winter editions of the Games.

Dec 15, 2015－Just five months after being selected as the host of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, the Organizing Committee for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics (BOCOG) is formally established, staffed with members from the 2008 Games' organizing team.

July 31, 2016－Beijing launches an international submission process for emblem designs for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, marking the anniversary of the city's winning bid.

Oct 19, 2017－The construction and renovation of competition and non-competition venues for Beijing 2022 begins, relying strongly on the legacy of the Summer Games, including 11 existing venues and projects built before 2008.

Dec 15, 2017－The Beijing 2022 organizing committee unveils the official emblems of the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games at a ceremony at the National Aquatics Center. Designed by artist Lin Cunzhen, the emblems combine the traditional art of Chinese calligraphy with the dynamism of winter sports.

Feb 25, 2018－Beijing receives the Olympic flag from South Korea at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games. The handover focuses the world's attention on the Chinese capital with an eight-minute show created by Zhang Yimou, who also directed the 2008 Games' opening ceremony.

July 19, 2018－The inclusion of seven new events in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics is announced, including women's monobob, freestyle ski Big Air and mixed team disciplines in short-track speed skating and snowboard cross. With over 45 percent of the Olympic quota allocated to women, the new program represents the most gender-balanced Winter Games in history.

May 10, 2019－Beijing kicks off the 1,000-day countdown to the 2022 Winter Olympics with a giant clock hung over the square between the iconic Bird's Nest and Water Cube, two 2008 Summer Games venues which have been refurbished to host competition and ceremonies for the Winter Games.

Sept 17, 2019－China unveils the official mascots－Bing Dwen Dwen and Shuey Rhon Rhon－for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. Bing Dwen Dwen is a giant panda-inspired cartoon character wearing a suit of ice. Bing means "ice" in Chinese, while Dwen Dwen suggests "health and ingenuity". The Paralympic Winter Games' mascot Shuey Rhon Rhon is a personification of a red lantern that symbolizes warmth, friendship and the resilience of disabled athletes.

Dec 5, 2019－Beijing starts the recruitment of 27,000 volunteers for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and 12,000 for the Winter Paralympics. Candidates will be trained to assist organizers across 12 job categories, including international liaison, competition organization, media operation and venue services.

Dec 30, 2019－The high-speed railway line connecting Beijing and Zhangjiakou, the co-host city of the Winter Games in Hebei province, officially begins operation. The 174-kilometer railway, boasting a maximum speed of 350 kph, reduces the travel time between Beijing and Zhangjiakou from over three hours to 47 minutes, facilitating cross-city traffic during and beyond the Games.

May 15, 2020－The Beijing 2022 organizing committee releases its official Sustainability Plan which is designed to guide preparations and operations with a sustainable approach that will have a positive environmental impact, boost development of the region and improve people's lives after the Games.

Dec 31, 2020－Beijing releases the 2022 Winter Games' official sports pictograms, which have been inspired by the traditional Chinese art of seal engraving. The set of pictograms consists of 24 icons covering all the medal events across seven sports for the 2022 Winter Olympics and six symbols identifying each of the sports at the Paralympics.

Feb 4, 2021－Beijing unveils the 2022 Winter Olympic torch "flying ribbon" at the one-year countdown celebration. The torch spirals upward to create the image of two overlapping, fluttering ribbons. The red inner ribbon evokes rising flames, to which the silver-plated outer ribbon creates a striking contrast.

Oct 8, 2021－The first international test event of Beijing 2022－the Speed Skating China Open－kicks off at the National Speed Skating Oval, with foreign athletes competing under strict COVID-19 protocols.

Oct 18, 2021－The flame of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics is lit in the birthplace of the ancient Games in Greece, officially raising the curtain on the winter sports gala.

Oct 20, 2021－The Olympic flame arrives to a warm welcome in Beijing, kicking off a series of exhibition tours across the country, a scaled-down traditional relay and online relays until February, with a limited number of torchbearers, event staff and spectators involved.

Oct 26, 2021－Beijing unveils the medals of the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics at the 100-day countdown celebration for the Games, sparking worldwide anticipation for the opening ceremony on Feb 4.