Photo of the buildings of the athletes' Olympic Village taken during a media visit, on August 5, 2008 in Beijing, three days ahead of the start of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.[Agencies]
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BEIJING--The Olympic Village has set Olympic records for its service and "green" design, according to an official on Friday.
By Thursday, the 66-hectare village had received 14,268 athletes and officials from 204 countries and regions. "Thanks to the efforts by the village's service team, we have received 49 compliment letters and no complaints," said Deng Yaping, the famed Olympic table tennis champion and deputy village head.
The village's main dining hall received 18,634 diners on August 8 when the opening ceremony was held. "It was the largest number in Olympic history. We served all the guests well during the peak hours," she said.
Among the numerous choices, Beijing roast duck was the most popular among the "villagers," Deng said. "We offered 300 ducks every day at the beginning, but now we raised the number to 600 to meet demand."
The village received 62 state leaders and royals, the largest amount ever. The guests included French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, who lived in the village for three days, called the facility the "best" Olympic village in history.
Due to its environmentally-friendly design, the village on Wednesday received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold award presented by the U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. He said the village could serve as a future prototype for energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly design.
The hot water used in 42 apartment buildings comes from a 6,000-square-meter solar heating system, which saves more than 5 million kwh of electricity annually.The village also includes a near-zero energy building that generates 80 percent of its power, heating and cooling through renewable sources such as solar cells and geothermal heat pumps.
The service team had also done well in the 13-day ceremony in welcoming checking-in delegations from 204 countries and regions, Deng said.
The staff started practicing at 5 a.m. every day in an effort to make sure the flag-raising ceremony for each delegation was operated without error. "Finally, they really made it," Deng said. "We made no error at all in those ceremonies." It was the first time no errors were made."It's been quite a challenge for us, we have to get to know everybody's living habits, lifestyle, religions, cultural background. We have got the experiences and lessons of the past Olympic Games and have been trying to satisfy the needs of the guests."
Designed to accommodate 16,000 athletes, coaches and their entourages, the compound is about 20 minutes walk northwest of the Games' two centerpiece venues -- the Bird's Nest National Stadium and the Water Cube National Aquatic Center.
It contains a main restaurant that can feed 5,000, its own fire station, tea and coffee shops, a barber, post office, library, shops and a clinic.
Diversified meals, along with customized beds, space for religious worship and entertainment facilities are part of efforts to provide a comfortable stay for the athletes.
Other services such as the chance to learn Chinese and watch Chinese cultural performances are offered to add colors to their Olympic experience.
In line with International Olympic Committee regulations, a religious center was set up in the village. Worship rooms are arranged for major religions -- Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism.
