BEIJING, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- An expert on Beijing
Olympic economy said here Thursday that the competition venues for the Olympic
Games will be used pretty well in the post-Games period.
"When designing and planning the Olympic venues, we
have already taken into consideration the utilization of venues after the
Games," said Du Wei, vice president and secretary-general of Beijing Olympic
Economy Research Association, said at a press conference at the Main Press
Center.
Many competition venues were built in universities or
densely populated areas, so they would be efficiently used after the Games, he
said.
Some venues were built in the common domain of the
Olympic Green, such as the iconic Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. According to
the experience of previous Olympic Games, people did not expect to recoup the
investment in a short term.
Exhibitions and cultural activities will be held in
the future to improve the venues' utilization, Du said.
As for the temporary venues, some will be dismantled,
and others will be rebuilt for new purposes in accordance with an overall plan
in that area, he said.
The expert noted that during the past seven years
since Beijing's successful bid for the Games, local residents had shown growing
enthusiasm in sports, triggering huge demand for sports venues.