By Xinhua Writer Ren Ke

    BEIJING, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- It is not the UN General Assembly, but more than 200 countries and regions sent delegates here. There is no fierce competition like in the Olympic venues, only joyful songs and voices in different languages.

    During the Games, a group of young people have gotten together in Beijing, sharing Olympics happiness in their own way.

Juan Antonio Samaranch(C), former International Olympic Committee (IOC) president, together with Liu Qi(L), president of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG), and Guo Jinlong(R), executive president of BOCOG, attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Youth Camp in the Beijing 101 Middle School in Beijing, China, Aug. 6, 2008. The Olympic Youth Camp officially opened on Wednesday is an integrant part of the Olympic Games and is of great significance in carrying forward the Olympic Movement.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Tuesday saw the opening of the Beijing Olympic Youth Camp (OYC), with a slogan of "Youth Creates The Future".

    There were 409 foreign camp members from 205 member states and regions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who will live together here until Aug. 17.

    Together with their 80 Chinese counterparts, these foreign camp members will play sports, take in entertainment and visit scenic spots to help them understand each other and Chinese culture. They will also have chances to watch some Olympics competitions.

    According to Liu Lin, a member of the publicity and promotion division of the Camp, it is the most complete Olympic Youth Camp ever. Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Iraq all sent young people here.

    Further, this Camp is the first to include disabled persons, including 10 from China.

    The Camp is situated in the No.101 Middle School of Beijing, near the remains of the Winter Palace. Surrounded by trees, with ancient-style pavilions and lotus-covered pools, the camp is like a huge forest park.

    Complete facilities, such as a post office, a bank that can exchange currencies and a grocery, are in the camp, which also has a religion center.

    The OYC is an educational and cultural exchange program under the Olympic flag for young people. It first appeared at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, and in 1964 it re-appeared at the Tokyo Olympics after being interrupted by two world wars.

    Most of the members are aged between 16 and 18, although the youngest member is a 12-year-old Iraqi boy. They are either outstanding youth or children of noble families, especially those from some African countries.

    But no matter who they are, playing and having fun are their natural instincts. To meet their needs, the camp has complete entertainment facilities, from table tennis and ceramics to tennis and football.

    Regardless of nationality, race or culture, games are their major communication method.

    "I really enjoy life here," said Tim Ferris, from Zimbabwe, as he played table tennis. "The Olympics is a big event, which allows me to make a lot of friends here." After losing one point, he was out of the match.

    Ferris and other players, who were from Belgium, Guatemala, Iceland and China, made a circle around the table and each caught the ball for one time in turn. Those who did not catch it were out.

    The Belgian boy taught them how to say "out" in German. After a while, when Ferris failed to catch the ball, the Guatemalan shouted "out" in the German that he had just learned, but with a Spanish accent. Ferris had to quit the match.

    Chinese characteristics can be seen in the camp, although it has more foreign members. The 400-plus members are separated into 12 groups, which are named according to the Chinese traditional calendar's 12 earthly branches that represent world harmony.

    Some members wear their national team's uniforms, on which their countries' names are shown in both their native languages and Chinese.

    After only two days, Ferris has made good friends with his roommates from Turkey, Ireland and China. They play table tennis and make ceramics.

    However, he is most interested in the Games. Although he is only 17, he began to enjoy watching the Games during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

    "I've always dreamed of participating in the Games representing Zimbabwe," said Ferris, "and I've been heading toward this goal all along."

    Ferris is talented in swimming, the butterfly stroke specifically, which makes him a stronger figure than his peers.

    These camp members are lucky. They will watch the opening ceremony of the Games and some wonderful competitions. Besides swimming, Ferris is also interested in gymnastics and sprinting. He knew about Liu Xiang of China, but it was difficult for him to pronounce Liu's name.

    Apart from the 400 camp members, there are more than 300 Chinese and overseas volunteers here, providing administrative work and services. Most are college students who can speak English fluently.

    "We get along very well," said a Chinese camp member, Shao Heng, who made a lot of foreign friends in the five days after his arrival.

    "We can get a better mutual understanding, and they can learn more about China, too."

    China, in Ximena Flores' mind, is a spiritual and mythical land.

    A Guatemalan youth badminton champion, Flores dreams of experiencing the Games. However, as an arts lover, she said the Olympics gave her a great chance to know about a culture totally different from her own.

    "I can make a lot of foreign friends, sharing our culture with them," said Flores. She lives with a Chinese, a Syrian and a girl from a Pacific island country that she has never heard of.

    "We just arrived here, so we don't know much about each other. However, we will find that although we come from different countries, we are the same."

    Flores talked with a Chinese camp member about Spanish and South American football. The two girls spontaneously mentioned some stars' names that Flores knew. Suddenly, there was no gap between them.

    "That is perhaps the Olympic spirit," said 18-year-old Shao. "We get together to know each other, like a world family."