A staff member works at the Press Work Area of the main media center of the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Thursday. HUA XIAOFENG/FOR CHINA DAILY

The main media center of the 31st FISU World University Games started trial operations in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Thursday, welcoming journalists from around the world.

The center will operate around the clock starting July 25, offering a range of services including office facilities, language assistance, transportation, catering, technology and commercial amenities.

It includes a media workshop, as well as news conference and media interview rooms. Equipped with large LED screens and TV sets, the workshop allows journalists to watch the opening and closing ceremonies and the live broadcasts of competitions in real time.

The workshop has also set up a photo service center to provide photojournalists with free maintenance and cleaning of photographic equipment, as well as rental services for photographic lenses, said Li Jin, a staff member of the media workshop.

The center has two news conference halls, the Panda Hall and the Ginkgo Hall, with seating capacities of 220 and 100 journalists, respectively.

Both halls provide simultaneous language interpretation services.

The Panda Hall handles more important conferences, while the Ginkgo Hall is used for daily briefings.

For dining options, the center features a restaurant on the second floor serving Chinese and Western food. With 354 seats available, the restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night snacks, said Fu Xiaoxi, manager of the media service group.

To provide a relaxed environment, the center has prepared a variety of intangible cultural heritage activities, including sugar painting and the face-changing performances popularized by Sichuan opera.

Liu Pengcheng, a young sugar painting artist from Meishan city in Sichuan, will put his skills on display daily during the Games, using brewed maltose to draw images of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. This artistic talent has been passed down through generations, with Liu's grandfather and father both working in the field.

The Games will be held in Chengdu from July 28 to Aug 8, following previous postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chengdu is the third Chinese mainland city to host the biennial event, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen, Guangdong province, in 2011.

To attract visitors from Sichuan during the Games and the summer vacation period, 494 famous tourist attractions in Zhejiang province, including the West Lake in Hangzhou, will offer reduced prices and exemptions for Sichuan tourists from July 20 to Sept 10, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism said.

Similarly, Sichuan will introduce preferential policies such as reduced ticket prices and exemptions for scenic spots, inviting Zhejiang tourists to experience Sichuan when the 19th Asian Games Asian and Para Games are held in Hangzhou in September and October, the department said.

huangzhiling@chinadaily.com.cn