South Korea spent over $1 billion on these mega-venues for the 2018 Winter Olympics — take a look

When a city is chosen to host the Olympics, the country's government usually shells out hundreds of millions to build extravagant venues for the athletes and fans.

The 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, which starts on Friday, will be no exception.

The 2018 Winter Olympics will start in the ski resort town of Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The Alpensia Ski Resort will serve as the main venue for outdoor sports, including ski jumping, biathlon, cross-country skiing, and luge. The resort includes seven smaller venues within it.

One of these venues is the Alpensia Ski Jumping Centre. Completed in 2008, it features two slopes, which are 210 feet long and 320 feet long. The drops are steep.

At the bottom, there's this sculpture of a skier.

Alpensia's Cross-Country Centre will host biathlon and cross-country skiing tournaments. Spectators will watch from inside the slender and short building pictured below.

The 44-acre Alpensia Sliding Centre has a maze of chutes for bobsleigh, skeleton (in which individual athletes ride small sleds), and luge events. It was completed in late 2017.

The center's construction cost approximately $114.5 million.

For slalom events, athletes will go to the Yongpyong Alpine Centre. The main building is derived from traditional Hanok design.

Dubbed the Dragon Zone, the Alpine's summit is 4,783 feet above sea level and 2,530 feet above ground level.

Athletes will live in the Olympic Village, which consists of eight 15-story buildings in Pyeongchang.

The village has a dining facility, laundry facility, general store, bank, post office, and recreational center. Athletes will sleep in beds outfitted with bright comforters in simple rooms.

Freestyle skiing and snowboard competitions will happen at the Bokwang Snow Park in the township of Bongpyeong-myeon.

The Olympians will launch from the top of this slope.

One of the newest and largest venues is the Hockey Centre, completed in 2017 in the coastal city of Gangneung.

The octagon-shaped stadium fits 10,000 people.

The Gangneung Curling Centre was renovated in 2015 and 2016 for this year's winter games. The stadium now features blue accents on its facade.

The complex centers around four ice curling sheets, each with a bullseye.

The Gangneung Ice Arena, which has a rounder facade, will host short-track speed skating and figure skating.

At night, its exterior lights up.

Dark cerulean seats fill the arena.

Gangneung's silver Oval complex is shaped like an ... you guessed it.

Inside, there are blue accents on the ice, which is surrounded by orange seats.

Similarly, the Kwandong Hockey Centre features a sleek, silver exterior.

The hockey arena's interior looks similar to the other stadiums, but it features teal seats.

The opening and closing ceremonies will happen at the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium. The red and orange seats are likely a nod toward the Olympic torch.

The 2018 games will last from February 9 to February 25.