Winter Olympics Feature | Tribute to the Unsung Heroes Behind the Scenes

Today marks the closing ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics. While most people are celebrating with pride and joy, for the builders and staff of JHHY HOUSE who have remained on duty behind the scenes, this moment is especially meaningful. Their 91-day mission of providing operational support for functional buildings in the competition zones is finally coming to a successful conclusion.

They come from different hometowns, each with their own lifestyles and habits, yet they gathered here with the same belief—a shared commitment to responsibility and an unwavering dedication to their mission.

To ensure the smooth operation of the essential functional facilities used by athletes, referees, spectators, media personnel, and other staff, JHHY HOUSE organized an operations and maintenance team led by Liu Licang, Liu Shuwang, Dong Liwei, Sun Ailong, Gao Xiaolong, Li Guoheng, and Liu Shaojie.

On December 30, 2021, the seven-member team departed for the high-altitude Yanqing competition zone in Beijing, taking responsibility for the pre-event and competition-period maintenance of functional facilities in the zone. They remained on-site until the conclusion of the Paralympic Games, and only returned to the Tangshan factory after completing the required 21-day quarantine and health protocols.

“From the moment we open our eyes in the morning until the lights go out at night, we are busy all day long,” said Liu Licang with a smile. That was the daily routine of the team during the Games: waking up at 5:00 a.m., walking long mountain roads, and catching the first bus up the mountain before 6:00 a.m. They usually arrived at the first station around 6:30 a.m. The team then split into several groups—some conducting inspections nearby while others traveled by cable car to different stations.

“Many of the functional containers house are far from the cable cars and widely scattered, so we often have to walk there. The tracks are covered with snow, so we must wear ice crampons and check each building one by one,” Liu Licang explained.

Their main responsibilities included checking whether power outlets were loose, identifying potential safety hazards, and ensuring that all facilities were functioning properly. They also inspected lighting systems, door locks, windows, electric heaters, and ventilation fans.

In the Yanqing competition zone, JHHY HOUSE’s functional container houses were widely used in areas such as:

●Waxing rooms in the Olympic Village

●Security and driver duty rooms along Route No. 2

●Nucleic acid testing rooms, athlete isolation rooms, and cable car duty rooms in the distribution plaza

●International Ski Federation (FIS) offices and anti-doping rooms in the speed finish area

●Award ceremony rooms, offices, anti-doping rooms, and security handling points in the competition finish area

●Athlete meal preparation rooms, heated medical stations, equipment storage rooms, OBS broadcasting rooms, and mountain rescue posts in the starting area

Some facilities located alongside the ski slopes—such as OBS broadcasting rooms, medical stations, and equipment storage units—were particularly difficult to reach. Due to the steep slopes exceeding 70 degrees, when these buildings were first installed, more than 40 workers had to transport the units manually for 12 hours to reach the designated locations.

“The work itself is not difficult,” said Liu Shuwang while carefully walking across the snow. “The challenge is the steep snowy roads and the extreme cold on the mountain. Walking one kilometer can take at least 30 minutes. Every day we inspect about 20 to 30 buildings, and unless there is an exceptional circumstance, we never skip a single one.”

The Yanqing Alpine competition zone, located on Xiaohaituo Mountain, is known for its high altitude, severe cold, and strong winds. Temperatures at the summit can drop to –30°C, with wind speeds reaching Force 12, making it the most challenging of the three Olympic competition zones in terms of natural conditions. These harsh conditions placed extremely high demands on the thermal insulation and heating performance of container houses.

●To address these challenges,JHHY HOUSE optimized the insulation structure of the container houses:

●Wall panels use 100 mm thick high-density rock wool insulation with no thermal bridges between panels.

●Sealing strips were added at container joints to ensure excellent airtightness and improved noise reduction.

●The roof features double-layer insulation, creating a warm and comfortable environment even in the snowy Olympic venues.

During the 2022 Lunar New Year, while most people were enjoying festive reunions with their families, some individuals remained on the frontlines due to their responsibilities and job requirements.

“One year working away from home, all you look forward to is a family reunion dinner. But the 2022 Winter Olympics is not only a global sporting event, it is also a source of pride for every Chinese citizen. That’s why I voluntarily applied to the company to be stationed in Beijing for this work. Especially throughout the entire competition period, our functional container houses operated flawlessly, concluding perfectly—I am extremely proud!”

Recalling this experience, Liu Shaojie from the operations team could hardly contain his excitement.

JHHY HOUSE’s functional container houses achieved zero failures throughout the entire Winter Olympics operations period.