Beijing beat Almaty, Kazakhstan, by a margin of 44 votes to 40.

The Bird's Nest stadium made famous during the Summer Games will again be used for the Opening and Closing ceremonies, according to Olympic Talk.

Natural and man-made snow will be used for the event, the blog said.

The competitions will take place within 100 miles of one another and will use a not-yet-built rail line that will get spectators to events within 20 minutes or less, Beijing officials said when submitting their bid. Former NBA superstar Yao Ming was also involved.

A $130 billion plan to improve air quality will also be implemented, the mayor of Beijing said.

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