Beijing Olympic organizers Friday started construction on the media village for the 2008 Games.

The media village, situated to the northeast of the Olympic Green and the Olympic Forest Park in the north of the city, will be within ten minutes drive from the Main Press Center and major Olympic competition venues, according to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG).

The media village will provide up to 6,000 rooms to accredited media during the Games.

The whole project is due for completion at the beginning of 2008.

In line with the themes of "Green Olympics", "Hi-tech Olympics" and "People's Olympics", new technologies and green concepts are incorporated into the design and construction work of the media village, such as the utilization of geothermal energy and solar energy, green construction materials and a rain water-recycling system.

Aside from the new media village that just broke ground, two existing accommodation facilities have also been selected as media villages and will provide additional 2,500 rooms.

Moreover, 46 hotels in Beijing have been so far assigned as media hotels, making around 15,000 hotel rooms available for the accredited media.

Quick access to the Main Press Centre and major competition venues is one of the priorities for the organizers in the selection of media accommodation facilities.

Around 21,000 accredited media from all over the world are expected to come to Beijing to cover the 2008 Games.

(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2005)