He said the work implemented the concept of the "Green Olympics, High-tech Olympic and People's Olympics", which will in turn play a significant role in promoting China's environmental protection, scientific innovation and public participation in social affairs.

Beijing made it a priority to reduce air pollution over the past decade to fulfill the Green Olympics concept. The municipal authorities invested about 120 billion yuan (17 billion U.S. dollars) in this effort.

Beijing relocated part of the Shougang Group, the nation's leading steel makers and the capital's major polluter, and temporarily or permanently shut down hundreds of factories that caused heavy pollution.

Neighboring cities and provinces also joined in the campaign by closing major polluters, removing high-emission cars from roads and restoring grassland vegetation.

As a result, the number of "blue sky" days in Beijing - an indicator of air quality - increased to 246 last year from 100 in 1998.

From July 20, more than three million automobiles in Beijing have been ordered to run on alternating days according to the last even or odd digit on the license plate, a move expected to reduce 60 percent of car emissions and ease traffic.

Engineers and technicians made a lot of innovations in the construction of Olympic venues such as the National Stadium and the Aquatic Center, which is an manifestation of "High-tech Olympics".

"To carry out the concept of the people's Olympics, we were people-oriented in designing and building venues. We also advocated civilized behavior among citizens, organized Olympic-related cultural activities in schools and to absorb volunteers from all walks of life," Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games president Liu Qi said earlier.

Liu also referred to the renovation of more than 600 ancient city alleyways, 400 old residential areas and 100-plus main streets in Beijing, which would improve living conditions for local people, especially low-income ones.

Beijing promised that traffic conditions would meet the demands of the Games, with the construction of roads and subways and upgrading of transport facilities.