Friendly faces, helping hands

"Volunteers are irreplaceable links to ensure the smooth running of the Games. It has become clearer than ever for me that we will have to shoulder great responsibilities," Li added.

Zhang Lina, deputy head of the volunteer department of the organizing committee, said young volunteers are facing unprecedented challenges.

"They have to learn how to cope with the stress caused by epidemic control measures and working in cold weather. Those conditions are even new to the organizers," she said.

All volunteers are required to enter the closed-loop management system, where they will only be able to move between Games venues on dedicated transport.

Zhang said the volunteers' jobs can at times seem trivial and repetitive, so she hopes they can learn to perform under pressure.

"Attention to detail is also important for volunteers because they will directly serve foreign athletes, reporters and guests," she said. "What's more, they can help the world better understand China."

Nicknamed the "Flying Spectacles", sprinter Hu Kai, who competed in the 100m and 4x100m relay for China's national team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has been working at the general office of the Beijing 2022 volunteer department.

"Without a doubt, the passionate volunteers of the 2008 Beijing Olympics impressed the world. They became the best representatives of the Chinese people who wanted the world to see a modern China," Hu said.