Beijing is getting ready for the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics, holding its first round of test activities on ice-based sports at venues across the city.

And the test for speed skating is being held at the National Speed Skating Oval, known as the "Ice Ribbon", the only venue built especially for the games.

The purpose of the test is to have a phased check on the whole working system in the arena. And a major part is the ice surface since it is the largest of its kind in Asia.

And for the first time in history, the vast ice surface uses cutting-edge and environmentally friendly carbon dioxide cooling technologies.

After the first phase of ice-making in January, Mark Peter Messer, an ice-making expert for Ice Ribbon said that the team needs to make sure the refrigeration would work and start to learn how they can adapt that to make the best conditions.

"So, now we have some participants. We have some skaters and some coaches that can give us some feedback. We're trying to take all the pieces and put them together to get their correct values," he said.

As test skaters get on the rink, various cameras are in a position to provide unique viewing angles and help with timing and scoring.

"The testing covers the whole operation and management of the newly built venue. It requires the perfect coordination among all working units," said Liu Yuanjie, the venue operation manager of the arena.

And the testing activities of Ice-Ribbon started on Wednesday, and it went on smoothly.

"With the approaching of the Winter Olympics, I believe the whole arena will gradually improve either in facilities or equipment, or services, to meet the requirements of the games, and to better serve the international athletes," said Wang Beixing, director of competition in the venue.

Testing at the Ice-Ribbon will end on Saturday. Then, it will conduct a comprehensive assessment and communicate with other venues in the Chinese capital to prepare for international testing later this year.