FUTURE HOSTS: On February 11, middle school students celebrate Nanjing's successful bid for hosting the 2014 Youth Olympic Games after it was announced (SUN CAN)

"The IOC encouraged an economical youth games. We can do that because all the stadiums are ready," Zhu said. Nanjing hosted the 10th National Games in 2005, which left behind some fairly new sports venues.

The Nanjing YOG will witness an expansion of the variety of Culture and Educational Programs (CEP), the organizers promised at a news briefing in Singapore on August 25. As an integral part of the YOG, the CEP includes fun and engaging activities designed to provide guidance to the participants on a wide range of topics, including Olympic values, the benefits of leading a healthy lifestyle and the prevention of sports injuries, among others.

Ding Ming, Director of the Culture and Education Department of Nanjing YOG Organizing Committee, revealed that the Nanjing organizing team would absorb the experience learned in Singapore and try to improve CEP activities in 2014.

It is very impressive that Singapore could prepare this kind of top event and cultural and educational pageant in only two and a half years, Ding told China Youth Daily.

Ding said the expanded CEP activities in Nanjing would include introductions of the special culture of Nanjing and China to young athletes as well as cultural exchange activities. Ding believed Nanjing is the perfect place to show the harmonious coexistence of ancient culture and modern civilization as the city has a history of 2,500 years and was China's capital city for six dynasties.

According to Ding, the CEP will take the form of workshops, forums, art events, festivals and sports.

Ding mentioned the World Culture Village in Singapore's Youth Olympic Village, where local students have been called up to prepare for culture exhibition booths to create a platform for the young athletes to learn about the culture of all the participants.

"The culture exhibition booths created by local students will also be seen in the athletes' village in Nanjing, but this time we might add some hi-tech and digital elements," he added. "Our main purpose is to let the young athletes enjoy the CEP activities."

Ding said the 1.46 million students in Nanjing's 670 schools and institutions of higher learning would have the opportunity to feel the charm of the YOG first hand. He said to expand the influence of the YOG movement to other parts of China, Nanjing will work with related ministries of the Central Government, hold YOG-themed national events every year and launch publicity campaigns on the Internet.