Athletes and officials are continuing to arrive at Athletes' Villages prior to the Winter Olympics ©Getty Images

All three Athletes' Villages in Beijing, Zhangjiakou and Yanqing were officially opened today with a little more than a week to go until the Winter Olympics here are due to start.

About 2,900 athletes are expected to be housed across the three complexes prior to the Games, scheduled to open on February 4.

Delegations from Switzerland, the United States, Britain and Australia were among the first to move in last weekend before today's official opening.

The Beijing Village is located close to the Olympic Park, providing 2,300 beds for curlers, ice hockey players, figure skaters, speed skaters and freestyle skiers and snowboarders competing in big air, plus coaches and officials.

Zhang Guannan, a member of the site's operations team, told state-run news agency Xinhua that the complex will accommodate about 1,000 athletes and team officials from 44 countries.

The Zhangjiakou Village is set to house 2,640 athletes and team officials taking part in freestyle skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, ski jumping and cross-country skiing events.

An Athletes' Village has been built in each competition zone to allow athletes easy access to venues ©Getty Images
An Athletes' Village has been built in each competition zone to allow athletes easy access to venues ©Getty Images

The complex in Yanqing is expected to offer accommodation to 1,430 athletes and team officials who will be participate in Alpine skiing, luge, bobsleigh and skeleton competitions.

According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the buildings have been designed in line with the cultural characteristics of mountain villages in northern China.

After the Games, the Beijing Village is expected to be turned into apartments for rent or sale, while the sites in Yanqing and Zhangjiakou are due to become hotels, apartments and a business cluster to serve the region's winter sports industry.

All three Villages fall within Beijing 2022's "closed-loop management system", which separates Games participants from the general public in a bid to combat COVID-19.

Close to 100 per cent of residents at the Villages are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19, with unvaccinated participants having been required to spend 21 days in quarantine before entering the closed loop unless they are under the age of 18.

A hair salon, café, bank, post office and general store are among the facilities available to those residing at the three complexes.

During their downtime, athletes can try out virtual reality spaces, play pool or table tennis, and watch the action on television screens located throughout the Villages.

The IOC said healthcare professionals will also be on site at polyclinics along with safe sport offices which offer educational materials and resources on safeguarding athletes from harassment and abuse.