The official opening of the Olympic Village for the Beijing Games will take place later today. And it will serve as a "home away from home" for Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

The official opening of the Olympic Village for  the Beijing Games will take place later today. (CCTV.com)

The Olympic Village will hold about 16,000 athletes and officials during the Beijing Olympics. And it will host 7,000 more during the Paralympic Games in Beijing.

The residential area comprises 42, similarly-styled buildings. The Olympic Village has been designed to be energy-saving and environmentally friendly. It is also fully equipped with solar water heaters and water saving technology, ranging from rain water collection to reusable water heating and cooling systems.

Each bed in the village has been designed to be 2.2 meters long. A special stool will be added to the end of beds for taller athletes, such as Chinese basketball superstar, Yao Ming.