Advanced technology has been applied to various scenarios at the 14th National Winter Games of China to ensure the best experience for spectators and players.

The 14th National Winter Games of China, featuring over 3,000 athletes nationwide and 176 events across eight sports, kicked off in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Saturday night.

Hulun Buir, one of the host cities, operates a command and dispatch center supported by technologies such as big data and 5G telecom communication to monitor the real-time updates of the key venues.

"It displays information, including event progress, ticketing, transportation and logistics, electricity, weather, food catering and medical services," said Shi Xiaodong, a technician at the dispatch center.

The region also uses unmanned patrol cars and smart patrol robots to keep the electricity supply checked, covering the blind spots that the staff could miss.

Green energy infrastructure such as wind and distributed solar power stations provide clean energy for the event.

The venues for the event have been upgraded as well. "For example, a tiny defect on the floor in the venue could affect how curling stones slide. We must keep it precise," said ice maker Tan Weidong.

The curling stones are also equipped with sensors that can detect when the players' hands separate from the handle, providing accurate information for the judges.