XI'AN, China - Venue construction for the 14th National Games are progressing steadily, said an organizer on Tuesday.

Despite the impact of the epidemic, construction and renovation of nine of the 53 venues were completed as of March, and work on the rest of the venues has been speeding up, said Zhu Yu, vice director of the venue construction department of the 14th National Games organizing committee, in a press conference.

In the Xi'an Olympic Center stadium, which will host the Games' opening ceremony and track and field competitions, 12,000 square meters of plastic runway materials from Italy have arrived in the capital city of Shaanxi Province on board the China-Europe freight train, and the runway foundation has been laid.

The China's 14th National Games are scheduled for 2021 but the Games' new official schedule has not yet been announced.

The venues will feature local culture of the northwestern province of China, and will 'create a smart, green tournament of humanity,' said the organizer.

For example, the design of the Yan'an University Gymnasium has been inspired by a Yaodong, a typical cave dwelling in the region, while water from the nearby Bahe River has been drawn around the Xi'an Olympic Center to provide a natural touch.

A combination of railway, fast public transport and regular public transport to the venues will help ease the traffic pressure on the city, Zhu said.?