Friendly faces, helping hands
Among the successful candidates, the youngest is 18 while the eldest is 63. All volunteers were required to attend a series of training courses, including general training, vocational training, venue management training and on-the-job training.
Jiang Yuxin, who will serve at curling venue the Ice Cube in the Beijing competition zone, said he was surprised to see people who worked as volunteers at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics training volunteers for the 2022 Winter Games.
Jiang, a law student from Peking University, trained in venue operations and learned about the sport of curling and how to serve people with disabilities. He took part in test events in October.
"Beijing 2022 will surely make young people feel proud of the country and fall in love with winter sports," Jiang said.
He added he hopes that Beijing 2022 volunteers will impress the world with their enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication.
Dong Jiachen, a volunteer from Peking University who will also serve at the Ice Cube, said volunteer work helps her connect with others and the wider society, giving her an invaluable sense of accomplishment.
"I will try my best to be a Beijing 2022 volunteer and solve problems efficiently and make visitors from home and abroad feel the warmth of China's young people,"Dong said.
Li Wanghua, a Hebei Normal University student, said she signed up immediately when the organizing committee began recruiting volunteers.
"The professionalism and passion of the volunteers at the 2008 Beijing Olympics are deeply imbedded in my memory, although I was only a primary school student back then. It's an honor to have the opportunity to emulate them," she said.
Li, who will serve at the Zhangjiakou competition zone's medal plaza, said the training she received exceeded her expectations. As the competitions in Zhangjiakou are all snow events held outdoors, volunteers like Li received cold-resistance training to prepare them for working long hours in the chilly weather, the 23-year-old explained.
