Advance team delegates arrive for Winter Olympics

Three Winter Olympic villages in and around Beijing pre-opened to various national delegations on Sunday. The arrivals included athletes and officials from over 20 countries including China, the United States, Canada, the U.K., Australia and Switzerland. 

Some delegates will be staying in the Olympic village in Beijing, while others will head to Zhangjiakou, some 190 kilometers northwest of the capital, and Yanqing, around 90 kilometers northwest.  The Olympic villages will officially open on Thursday, when larger teams are set to arrive.

Meanwhile, Rehearsals for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics were held on Saturday evening at the National Stadium. It showed performers practicing dance routines, with participants ranging in ages from 5-years-old to over 70-years-old.  The ceremony will be held on 4 February, which coincides with the 'Beginning of Spring' - the first of 24 Chinese solar terms.