On February 27, CCTV broadcasted a news feature: "Volunteers: the warm snowflakes of the Beijing 2022". Yang Zhiye, from China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU), was a volunteer at the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre. She was interviewed by CCTV, as a representative of the volunteers in Yanqing Competition Venue. When the reporter mentioned that the volunteers who worked behind the scenes during the Winter Olympics, stood under the spotlight of the national stadium "Bird's Nest" at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, Yang Zhiye said, "I think although we are behind the scenes, we can still stand in the center of the world and stand in the eyes of the world. Each volunteer is like a burning snowflake, and it takes millions of snowflakes to make this beautiful winter.
During the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, nearly 19,000 volunteers for the Games and more than 200,000 volunteers for the city participated in the service, and they contributed their warmth to the winter that attracted the attention of the whole world. During the closing ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, the video clip "Warm Snowflakes" was played to review the tender experiences of the Beijing 2022 volunteers, who served each Chinese and foreign Winter Olympic guest with their whole hearts. In his speech, IOC President Bach said, “I would like to say to all the volunteers that the smile in your eyes warms our hearts and your friendly goodwill will always be in our hearts,” then he said in Chinese, "Volunteers, thank you."
President Bach's words moved Yang Zhiye immensely. As a CFAU student, Yang Zhiye strove to take the university's motto of “true patriotism and global vision; professional expertise and great proficiency in foreign languages; and high quality and interdisciplinary knowledge” as a guide for her actions during her volunteer service. She also kept in mind the value of "sports diplomacy" as she helped the media from different countries resolve problems through the power of sports and culture. This helped to eliminate prejudices and break down barriers, provide an important channel for the world to understand China, and promote the exchange and mutual appreciation between the Chinese civilization and other civilizations around the world. Yang Zhiye said, "The Winter Olympics is a sports event, but also a storytelling event, and it is through this platform that volunteers can tell the story of volunteer service and the recipients our service, the media, can tell the story of the Winter Olympics, while all Chinese people can tell the story of China. I believe that this sentiment and love will definitely continue into the Winter Paralympics and into the future.
Group photo of our volunteers at Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre
Yang Zhiye, who was interviewed by CCTV, served in the Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Centre. She is a representative of our volunteers in Yanqing. During the competition, our Yanqing volunteers served in the mixed zone, press room, press stand, photography area and press conference room in the media operation area of the venue management. At this, the highest altitude venue of the Beijing 2022, the volunteers served about 2,500 journalists from all over the world during the games. The volunteers worked hard and dedicated themselves, despite the cold weather, to help Chinese and foreign journalists finish their work efficiently in the Winter Olympic Games. They also helped to guarantee the operation of media services, and helped domestic and foreign media and journalists tell the story of China's preparation for the Beijing 2022 games, as well as the story of the hospitality of the Chinese people, in order to vividly and accurately convey the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games to the whole world.