One of the 26 competition and non-competition venues will be the National Speed Skating Oval, located at the north end of the Olympic Park, which has been dubbed the "Ice Ribbon" due to its appearance.

According to the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee, the foundations for the venue will be laid in the near future with completion expected by the end of 2019 in time for speed skating test events in the Chinese capital in 2020.

Other venues which will be built especially for the Games include the Alpine skiing and sliding course.

Executive deputy director of the Planning, Construction and Sustainability Development department Liu Yumin told China Daily: "The construction has gotten off to a flying start and is smoothly underway.

"We believe all the venues will be delivered on schedule."

The Games will also feature refurbished existing venues such as the National Aquatics Centre and the Wukesong Arena, which were both used at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Wukesong Arena, which hosted basketball at the 2008 Games, will be used for ice hockey and skating events in 2022.

It is claimed that the "shift time" between a hardwood basketball court and an ice hockey rink is just six hours.

The promotion operation for the Games will also be expanded this year.

Following the launch of the official Beijing 2022 logos in December, a mascot design contest will open this year with a final decision expected in early 2019.

It has also been announced that renowned film director Zhang Yimou will direct the handing-over performance at the Closing Ceremony of the upcoming 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang on February 25.

Zhang was the director of the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremony.

The Beijing 2022 Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from February 4 to 20 with the Paralympics a month later from March 4 to 13.