Athletes and officials have praised the facilities. "It's very nice. The apartments, the streets everything is good," said Rubicela Guzman, a Paralympian from Mexico.

Spread over 66 hectares, the village has 42 apartment buildings, a hospital, a bank, places of worship and many shops.

Advanced teams from more than 41 countries and regions had reached Beijing till Saturday.

Village Mayor Chen Zhili told the Chinese delegation: "Your arrival marks the official opening of the village, which is now ready to embrace athletes and officials from around the world."

The Chinese delegation, with 332 athletes and 215 officials, is the country's largest at the Paralympics.

A commemorative wall with the inscription of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in Chinese and English, was also unveiled on Saturday.

The convention was unanimously approved by delegates of the 192 UN members two years ago, and became effective from May 3 this year.

All athletes, officials and visitors to the village can sign their names on the wall, which will be retained as a legacy of the Beijing Paralympic Games.

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