CNN's John Vause has a look at the newly unveiled Olympic village that will house 16,000 athletes in Beijing

Well, this will be home for 16, 000 athletes and coaches at this year's Beijing Games. Forty-two buildings, it's a sprawling complex in fact, it's the largest Olympics village in Games' history, and designers say this is a showcase of environmental standards, for example, the outdoor lighting here is powered by solar panels and inside these buildings, the heating and cooling systems used reclaimed sewage water from a local treatment plant.

Now, also inside, these apartments, a privilege denied to the vast majority of Beijing residents drinking water straight from the tap. There's also Internet access, but authorities say that will be subject to the normal heavy government censorship. Athletes will sleep two to a room, and eight to an apartment, and officials deny that there will be a ban on bibles and other religious symbols. In fact, they say they've built what they call a religious service center, and once the Olympics are over and the Para-Olympics are over, all of these apartments will be renovated and then sold off.

John Vause, CNN, Beijing.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. solar panel

A solar panel is a device that collects and converts solar energy into electricity or heat. It transfers energy from the sun into electricity or heat which can be used by (for example) nearby buildings.

2. Para-Olympics : 残疾人奥运会