SOCCER STADIUM: The nets are up at Shanghai Stadium for Olympic football matches

"I will give my best service during the Olympics, to let every guest visiting Shanghai feel the real zest and passion of the metropolis," said He Yingfei, a college girl with a sweet voice and one of the city's 45,000 Olympic volunteers.

He Yingfei, who studies at Shanghai University of Sport, is a guide at Shanghai Stadium, a venue for Olympic football matches.

Shanghai Stadium, or Shanghai Sports Center, is situated in Xuhui District. Formerly known as the "80,000-seat stadium," it is used for track-and-field events, football matches, and cultural or sports extravaganzas.

Covering a floor area of 190,000 square meters and a total construction space of 150,000 square meters, the saddle-shaped stadium has a diameter of 300 meters. Above its stands there are awnings that can be spread out to protect the audience from rain or sun.

"I've been to all the stadiums in Shanghai and I like this one best for both its good-looking shape and the modern facilities inside," Wu Wei, a resident of Shanghai, told Beijing Review. Wu has a ticket to watch one of the men's football matches.

The stadium was opened to the public in 1997, with the opening ceremony of the Eighth National Games. It is a fantastically modern and slightly surreal construction, notable for having China's first long-span fabric roof and the world's longest cantilevered steel truss roof, resembling the snow-capped peaks of a mountain range. The project was a joint effort by Chinese and American engineers and contractors.

According to Shanghai Deputy Mayor Zhao Wen, the city prepared well for the Olympic Games and has 115 emergency plans in place to tackle any problems that might arise.

The stadium's 80,000 seats are made of a special material that conforms to a sitter's position, in the interests of comfort.

The Olympic football matches in the stadium are due to take place from August 7 to 22, when Shanghai may experience strong sun and heavy rain. Maintaining the quality of the grass in these difficult weather conditions is critical. To deal with the problem Olympic organizers in Shanghai have selected an 18,000-square-meter area to grow backup grass.

The complex that houses the stadium incorporates a hotel, a recreational athletics center, and a parking lot. There are also restaurants and bars in the stadium.

As well as a football pitch, the stadium has bungee jumping facilities in its roof and a swimming pool. Shanghai Grand Stage (Shanghai Gym) is also nearby.

Transportation to the stadium is convenient, with a subway stop just 300 meters away.