Olympic Village officially opens

The Beijing Olympic Village officially opened to athletes on Sunday morning.

Guo Jinlong, executive president of the  Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad(BOCOG), addresses the  opening ceremony of the Olympic Village in  Beijing, China, July 27, 2008. The Olympic  Village was officially opened Sunday morning as dozens of Chinese athletes entered the  compound. The village will provide  accommodations for 16,000 athletes, coaches  and their entourage coming for the Olympics. (Xinhua/Wang Lei)

President of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 2008 Olympic Games, Liu Qi passed the key to village mayor, Chen Zhili. The International Olympic Committee's flag was raised while its theme song was played during the ceremony. The Chinese delegation was the first to enter the village. 

Liu Qi(L), president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad(BOCOG), and Chen Zhili, head of the Olympic Village, show the Key of the Olympic  Village at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Village in Beijing, China, July 27, 2008. The Olympic Village was  officially opened Sunday morning as dozens of Chinese  athletes entered the compound. The village will provide  accommodations for 16,000 athletes, coaches and their  entourage coming for the Olympics. (Xinhua/Xu Jiajun)

Later, the delegation held the its flag-raising ceremony at the Olympic Village. China is sending a 1,099-member delegation to the Beijing Olympic Games, its largest ever Olympic delegation.

The village will close on August 27, and will reopen on August 30 as the Paralympic Village.