Han urged workers to continue with their whole-hearted efforts for the Winter Olympics to go to plan and be "simple, safe and splendid," per Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua.

During the inspection, Han visited the National Ski Jumping Centre, the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Villages, a snow park and an exhibition hall to learn about construction, preparation, future planning and COVID-19 prevention work.

As the construction work enters a crucial stage, with fewer than five months until the Games, Han called for high-quality venue and facility construction and careful management.

The impact of the coronavirus crisis was felt at the delayed and spectator-free the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Han also stressed the importance of sound plans to prevent and control the pandemic around Beijing 2022.

Another important measure in Han's eyes is the protection of forests and the environment, with sustainability and use of venues after the event stressed.

The Zhangjiakou cluster is 140 miles away from Beijing and is set to host the cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon, snowboarding and freestyle skiing events.

Beijing 2022 is scheduled to take place from February 4 to 20.

The Chinese capital will become the first-ever city to host the Summer and Winter Games, after Beijing 2008, provided next year's event goes ahead.

Playbooks for Beijing 2022 are expected to be published in October and will likely provide more detail on COVID-19 countermeasures - particularly relevant with foreign arrivals in China required to self-isolate for 21 days at present.