Mascots cheer on arrival of 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou

As excitement builds among spectators and athletes ahead of the 19th Asian Games' opening ceremony on Saturday, Hangzhou and its neighboring cities have come alive and are visibly ready to host athletes from across Asia.

Set to run until October 8, the mega multisport event is set to gather over 12,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries and regions to compete in 481 events at 56 venues.

Throughout Hangzhou and other venues in Zhejiang Province, the figures of the Games' mascots can be seen cheering on the arrival of one of Asia's biggest sporting events.