The Wukesong Sports Center, serving as the ice hockey venue for the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, is undergoing the latest round of ice-making in preparation for test events due to start in early November.
The ice-making process that normally takes about three to five days has begun on Wednesday. According to experts on the field, it is expected to finish by next Monday.
CGTN interviewed ice-making experts from overseas about the ongoing work.
"Yesterday we started, put down some water, and painted that white, so that's the white surface you see behind us," said Nelson Donald-Moffatt from the U.S.
"Today, we are laying out and actually painting out the hockey marks... all the lines, circles and face-off. Progress is pretty good. "
According to Moffatt, making ice requires a strong base that is about two centimeters thick and is usually sprayed over with white paint. After the layer is stable, the lines, circles and face-off will be painted on. Another two-centimeter layer of ice will be added on top to complete the process.
Nelson Donald-Moffatt (R) and Richard Alan Regan (2nd R) discuss ice-making work with Chinese colleagues in the Wukesong Sports Center in Beijing, China. /CGTN
Richard Alan Regan, an expert in the industry for more than 16 years, is among a team of experts sent by the International Ice Hockey Federation for the 2022 Beijing Winter Games.
"The team is drawing and putting down guidelines for the lines on the rink. Wool or yarn will be used as an outline to guide the paint. The black lines will be removed and the color ones will remain to be frozen in with the paint," said Regan.
"The man with the bucket has water in the backpack and he is spraying all the template lines down. The temporary lines go down, so we can paint the rest of our lines, the guidelines," he added.
When asked about whether the team has encountered any challenge, Moffatt said the ice-making technique in China is already standardized, and that he and Regan are only here to offer advice.
"We really haven't faced a whole lot of challenges. This venue has hosted hockey in the past. They have the KHL team here, and two NHL games here, so the staff here are very familiar with ice. As far as that goes, there hasn't been any challenges. What we are doing is sharing our knowledge and experience with the Chinese ice crew," said Moffatt.
The test events will take place in Wukesong from November 7 to 13. The facility is now under closed-loop management to ensure the safety of international staff and teams.