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Lina learns to play softball at Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Center. [Photo/hangzhou2022.cn]

Lina Maria Castiblanco Diaz, a Colombian student studying in Hangzhou, recently embarked on an in-depth exploration of the Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Center – the Asian Games venue for baseball and softball.

Spanning approximately 160,000 square meters, the venue boasts over 10,000 seats, making it the largest in the country and the first constructed according to international competition standards for baseball and softball.

The clay section of the field utilizes the same products as the baseball field from the 2008 Beijing Olympics. This mixture is specially formulated to securely embed athletes' shoes, preventing dust and stickiness during play.

Moreover, within an hour after heavy rain, players can promptly resume training and competitions. The playing surface employs a non-infill artificial turf, which not only requires minimal maintenance but also allows for athletes to perform at their best.

An aerial view of the Shaoxing Baseball and Softball Sports Center. [Photo/hangzhou2022.cn]

Hailing from the baseball-rich culture of her home country, Lina said, "Exploring this venue brought back memories of my childhood days when I used to play softball in school."

Lina learned that the venue incorporates 15 intelligent systems, enabling integrated monitoring of building equipment, environmental conditions, energy consumption, and security systems. This renders the entire venue akin to a neural hub processing diverse data and providing decision models to achieve optimized utilization and management.

Lina has visited 47 countries in her life. However, she asserts that nowhere compares to the experience China has offered her, be it culinary delights, cultural richness, or cutting-edge technology – all of which deeply captivate her.