Athletes, organizers and volunteers combine to shine

"We also attracted sponsorship in terms of facilities, equipment, medals, transportation and communication services. From the support of all parties, the sponsorship totaled 420 million yuan ($60 million)."

In terms of construction, only 19 of the 58 venues that were used for the Games were new builds, and most will now be available to the public for use either free of charge or with very low admission prices to fuel the national fitness campaign.

Meanwhile, the Games also became the first major sports event in China to embrace 5G tech to improve the viewer experience.

Unlike on traditional TV broadcasts, 5G users on smartphones, IPTV and other devices enjoyed 360-degree visibility of every competition, with the ability to zoom in or out and choose a variety of camera angles.

The technology was also used in the athletes' village, where a digital tour of Shanxi's most famous attractions was available on IPTV in the competitors' rooms.