Photo: Courtesy of organizers

A curling-themed sports center opened in Beijing on Friday as part of the city's efforts to promote the winter sports' popularity in the buildup to the 2022 Winter Olympic Games.

Located in the southwestern suburb of Beijing, the Olympjoy curling center has the facilities to host training and competitive events for professional curling teams, organizers said.  

The two-week-long Beijing junior curling championship also kicked off at the venue on Saturday. 

China has vowed to have 300 million people participate in winter sports by 2022, when Beijing becomes the world's first city to have hosted both the summer and winter Olympic Games.