"The facility will be officially known as the National Stadium under the Sports Affairs Council (SAC)," said SAC Minister Tai Hsia-ling at an unveiling ceremony.

As a result of an online public vote, Tai said, the stadium will also have a Chinese nickname "long teng (flying dragon)" because it sounds almost like "long term" in English.

"The English nickname symbolizes our best wishes for a prosperous stadium in the future," Tai explained.

Built at a cost of NT$5 billion, the stadium has been certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations as a first-class sports arena, Tai said.

"We are proud to have this stadium because it is outfitted with first-class equipment and devices, including photovoltaic panels for energy conservation and environmental protection purposes," Tai said.

Noting that the stadium was designed by Toyo Ito, a world-renowned Japanese architect, Tai said it will become a new landmark in Kaohsiung, Taiwan's second largest city.

Speaking on the same occasion, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chu said the stadium is not only on a par with world class sports facilities in terms of quality, but also in terms of zero accidents in the process of construction. With only two months to go before the inauguration of the world sports extravaganza scheduled for July 16-26, Chen said she hopes the central and local governments will cooperate closely to ensure that the event proceeds smoothly.