The medals for the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, named Shan Shui, meaning "lake and mountain," were officially unveiled on Thursday, marking the 100-day countdown to the opening ceremony.
On Thursday morning, the flame was lit in the Liangzhu ancient city and later displayed at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City park in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. The torch relay will start in mid-September, as the Games are scheduled from September 23 to October 8.
Characterized by the ceremonial jade cong in the Liangzhu culture, a square jade is integrated with a round medal for Shan Shui.
Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2019, Liangzhu is known for the prehistoric rice-cultivating civilizations of China and exquisite jade ware, as well as the country's earliest known large-scale water conservation network.
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The reverse side of the medals takes the shape of a square seal, symbolizing the athletes' beautiful mark on the Asian Games.
The design also encapsulates Hangzhou's identity as an ecological civilization capital, with its natural landscapes, clear waters and green hills. It embodies the sportsmanship of reaching great heights through hard work and self-challenge.
Meanwhile, the medal ribbon will be hand-stitched on both sides using brocade jacquard technology and environmentally friendly printing techniques. The bridge-shaped buckle at the top of the ribbon highlights the water and bridge images, which are signature features of Jiangnan, the region south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.