Beijing Stadiums Become World Famous After Summer Olympics
Since the 2008 Beijing Olympics there is no shortage of stadiums and sporting facilities in the China's capital, but even before that there were several large and well known stadiums playing host to national and international sporting and entertainment acts and events.
Many of the stadiums in Beijing were built specifically for the Olympic Games, and billions of dollars were spent on their design and construction. Beijing was praised for it's fantastic hosting of the games, and the city was transformed in the run-up to the world-famous event. There were other stadiums already in Beijing before the Olympics, and a lot of these were either enlarged or totally refurbished for the games. Beijing is now a world-class centre for stadiums and can accommodate all sorts of sporting events and international music and entertainment acts.
Arguably the most well known stadium in Beijing is the impressive Beijing National Stadium, or better known as 'The Bird's Nest'. The stadium was designed by Swiss architects, Herzog and de Meuron for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The design which originated from a study of ancient Chinese ceramics was created with tall steel beams that covered the supports for the retractable roof that made it look like a birds nest, hence the name. Building began in 2003 and was officially opened in June 2008. Used as the main venue for the Olympics, and hosting over 50% of all events, the city is now trying to attract more sporting and other events to it to increase it's usage. Plans to build a hotel and shopping mall in it's surrounds are in place.
The Beijing National Indoor Stadium is another large stadium in the city, and was the venue for gymnastics, trampoline, and handball events during the 2008 Olympics. It is situated in the south of Olympic Centre in the Chaoyang district of Beijing. It has a capacity of 19,000 spectators and covers an area of 809,000 square meters. After the Olympics were completed, the stadium is now used for cultural and sporting events as well as a multi-purpose exercise centre.
The Worker's Stadium also in the Chaoyang district of Beijing is a multi-use stadium and is home to the Beijing Hyundai Soccer team - one of the most successful teams in China. It was used for the quarter and semi-finals of the football during the 2008 Olympics, and has a capacity of 72,000 spectators.
The Olympic Sports Centre Stadium is another large multi-purpose stadium situated within the Chaoyang district of Beijing and was renovated for the 2008 Olympic games. Football matches and pentathlon events were held here during the Olympics. It is usually used to host football matches. The stadium was enlarged to 37,000 square meters, and has a capacity of 40,000 people.
The Capital Indoor Stadium in the Haidian District of Beijing is an indoor stadium that was constructed in 1968 but renovated for the recent Olympic games. The stadium covers a floor space of 54,600 square meters and has an 18,000 person capacity. It was used to host volleyball events during the 2008 summer Olympics.
Wukesong Indoor Stadium is situated in the western urban area of Beijing. It was built specifically for the 2008 Olympic games and was used as a venue for the 2008 Olympics basketball events. Construction began in 2005 and the stadium was officially opened at the end of 2007. Halfway through construction the budget was cut, so the original design had to be modified. The stadium was an important part of the Olympics, and after the games were completed, it has been a popular venue for sporting, music, and cultural events as well as leisure and recreational activities for the citizens of the western suburbs of Beijing where there was previously no comparative stadium. The stadium covers an area of 63,000 square meters and has a spectator capacity of 18,000.
There are several other large stadiums in Beijing most of which are used primarily for football matches, including the Liuzhou Stadium situated in the area of the same name, that is mostly used for football events, and has a capacity of 35,000 spectators. Another one is the Fengtai Stadium, which is also mainly used for football events although it is a multi-purpose venue. It is the home ground of Beijing Gouan football team and holds 33,000 people. Xiannongtan Stadium is one of the older stadiums in Beijing and was built in 1936 as the Beijing Public Stadium. Like the others, Xiannongtan is primarily used for football events and has a seating capacity of 30,000 people.
