There are only days to go before the National Games open on November 9, but as pre-competition events get underway, so has the operation of the main media centre in Hong Kong.

RTHK takes a closer look at what the primary media hub has to offer.

The media centre at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park in Sai Ying Pun has been temporarily repurposed from a sports centre.

Stepping into the building, reporters are greeted with signs leading to the main press conference room, the place for major media briefings.

In keeping with the “Sports for All” spirit, the media centre also features a gym, located just next to the press conference room, where fitness sessions are also available to media workers by appointment.

Catering is also well taken care of, with free meals provided for lunch, dinner and late-night snacks from 11.30am to 10.00pm each day.

Some decorations have also been put up to recall the nostalgic atmosphere of a Hong Kong-style dai pai dong in the dining area.

There’s also an outdoor broadcast zone set up with views of Victoria Harbour for live coverage.

Up on the second floor lies the international broadcast centre, equipped with around 40 television screens displaying live feeds from competition venues across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Four local rights-holding broadcasters, including RTHK, have also set up their studios here.

Next to the international broadcast centre is the main press centre - where most reporters are expected to spend their time.

More than 160 workstations are available, each fitted with individual power outlets and USB charging ports.

Shuttle buses have also been arranged to transport people between the media centre, competition venues, and designated media hotels.

The administration expects hundreds of media professionals from the mainland and overseas to arrive in Hong Kong to cover the Games.

Wei Wei, a reporter with Xinjiang Television, is travelling to Hong Kong for the first time to cover the beach volleyball events.

He praised the media centre for its convenience and facilities.

“My first impression is that it’s really close to our hotel - just about an eight-minute walk to get here. Also, it’s part of Sun Yat Sun Memorial Park, so the whole vibe is pretty nice,” he said.

“There was a small hiccup during the registration process because some info didn’t match up, which caused a bit of confusion, but overall, it still feels good. The food is decent, and I noticed they have gym facilities and appointment services, though I haven’t had time to check them out.”

Wei also mentioned that on his first night in the city, he walked along the Victoria harbourfront, saying it was quite a delight to feel the warm, humid weather and harbour wind, something he hadn’t experienced back in northwest China.