Olympic Green

The Olympic Green is situated in north Beijing and occupies a large area of 11.59 square kilometers. It is divided into three parts including the southern part, middle part and the northern part. The southern part is the place where 10 venues of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games were held, such as the National Stadium, nicknamed “Bird’s Nest”, the National Aquatic Center, nicked name “Water Cube”, National Indoor Stadium, National Conference Center’s Fencing Gymnasium etc. The night view of the park is especially beautiful because the lights of the stadiums change into different colors. Oppositely, the northern part mainly serves as natural scenery where flowers and all kinds of trees can be seen. The middle part comprises three squares and the land mark of the park, Linglong Tower.

The Olympic Green will again serve as an Olympic Park in the course of the 2022 Winter Olympics. It’s an ideal option to appreciate the night scenery and experience Olympic culture.

Admission Fee: Free

If you go:

#15 Beichen East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing. (Get off at Olympic Green Metro Station)

Bird’s Nest

The Bird’s Nest, or National Stadium was the main venue of the Summer Olympics where the wonderful opening ceremony took place. The National Stadium looks like a huge iron nest which is ideally placed in the Olympic Green. It can accommodate 90,000 spectators, with a construction area of 260,000 square meters. It is now open to the public for visitation. You can visit the first floor and the fifth floor to learn about the secrets of the stadium. Highlights of the construction including how it works are showcased by photos, videos, and miniature models. Besides, other highlights of the 2008 Summer Olympics are displayed as well such as the torch, instruments, and the property of opening and closing ceremonies etc. You can also view the amazing landscape of the Olympic Green from the top of the stadium due to its having a 1000-meter long corridorestablished on the top floor.

Now, events such as concerts, exhibitions and games are usually held in the stadium. It will also be home to winter sport activities for the public as the city prepares for the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Tips:

Admission Fee: General Tickets 50 RMB

Ticket Offices are situated at the entrances D, E, K, L.

Admission Hours: 9:00 – 21:00

Tel: +86 010 84373008

Currency exchange and free tour guide are available.

If you go:

#1 National Stadium South Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

Water Cube

If the Bird’s Nest is a strong iron man, the Water Cube will be an exquisite lady. The Water Cube, also known as the Beijing National Aquatics Center, is the venue where swimming competitions were held in the course of the 2008 Olympics. Resembling a large pure ice cube, it was built alongside Beijing National Stadium in the Olympic Green.Despite its nickname, the building is not an actual cube, but a cuboid (a rectangular box). After the 2008 Olympics, the building underwent a 200 million Yuan revamp to turn half of its interior into a water park. It will host curling at the 2022 Winter Olympics. It measures 177 meters long, 177 meters wide, and 30 meters high and covers an area of 6.3 hectares. It contains four floors: one at street level, two above, and one below. The one below served as the service area during the Olympics. The first floor is for tourists. The auditorium is on the second floor with 6,000 fixed seats (2,000 of which are movable), and 11,000 temporary seats. The third floor is strictly for business.

The Water Drop Theater, SPA Zone, and the Water Cube Water Park open to public regularly.

Tips:

Admission Fee: For visit, 30 RMB/person, half discount for children between 1.2-1.4m and free for children below 1.2m.

Admission Hours: 9:00 – 20:00

If you go:

#1 Anding Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing.

National Indoor Stadium

Adjacent to the Bird’s Nest, the National Indoor Stadium was another main venue of the 2008 Summer Olympics. It is nicknamed Fan due to its design resembling a traditional Chinese folding fan. At the 2008 Olympics, it hosted the Artistic Gymnastics, Trampolining, and Handball events. Compared to the Bird’s Nest and Water cube, this stadium keeps a low profile. After the Olympics, the stadium has been used for sports competition, cultural and entertaining purposes, and serves as a multi-functional exercise center for local residents.

Admission Fee: 20 RMB

Admission Hours: 9:00 – 19:00

If you go:

#9 Tianchen East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing.