The official website of Beijing and Zhangjiakou's joint bid to stage the 2022 Winter Olympics was launched on Thursday — exactly a year before the host will be chosen.

The bid is one of three to make the shortlist — the other contenders are Oslo in Norway and Almaty in Kazakhstan. The candidates are required to set up websites by the International Olympic Committee.

"The site will enable the public to learn more about the bidding process and is the official platform for the release of information on the bid," said Wu Jingmi, deputy secretary-general of the bid committee.

"It will also promote the cities' image around the world and help the bidding committee connect with the public."

The site — www.beijing-2022.cn — contains eight major sections giving information about the Winter Olympics, the bid process and the two cities. All the information is presented in three languages, Chinese, English and French.

"We will expand the service to more platforms with applications on smartphones," said Xie Yuefeng, deputy editor-in-chief of Tencent, the company that worked with the committee on building the website.