Bird's Nest

Situated in the southeast corner of the Olympic Green Village in Beijing, China, the Bird’s Nest got its name because of its innovative grid formation with the twig-like structure and the bowl-shaped roof. As the main stadium for the 2008 Olympic Games, it is the place to host the Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies and track and field events and football final.

Covering an area of 258 thousand square meters (99.614 square miles), the stadium can seat 91,000 spectators. The excellent opening ceremony and the fantastic performances of 29th Summer Olympics gave the world a profound impression. After the Olympic Games, Bird’s Nest has officially opened to the public since December 25th, 2008, and becomes the center of international or domestic sports competition and recreation activities. Today, it is a very popular modern attraction and regarded as the must-see in Beijing by many foreign tourists.

Design and Construction

The design of the stadium takes the look of a “nest” to sustain life, more likely a cradle entrusted with the human’s hope for the future. The design was accomplished together by the 2001 Pritzker Prize winner, Swiss architects Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron and Chinese architect Li Xinggang. They just exposed the steel structures entirely without doing any redundant disposals to the look.

Construction of the stadium was started on December 24th, 2003 and stopped temporarily on July 30th, 2004 due to the adjustment of the design. On December 27 of the same year, the construction was resumed and completed on June 28, 2008. The whole project took over four years at a cost of 2,267 million Chinese yuan (about 33 million dollars). All the design, construction and operation of Bird’s Nest embody the concept of Green Olympics, High-tech Olympics and People's Olympics.

Visiting Guide

On the first and fifth floor in the Bird's Nest, visitors can see the engineering features of the project. For example, the 2.5-meter-high and 1.2-ton-heavy steel models of Multiple K-node are displayed in both north and south sides on the first floor. By pressing the buttons of the LED simulation system, tourists can appreciate the stunning nightscape in the daytime.

Olympic-themed Tourist Attractions

The Olympic Torch

The Olympic Torch- Lucky Cloud, Segways with excellent agility and safety and the little electric car which was used to fetch the equipment remind people the scene of Beijing Olympic Games. The Olympic Media Area mainly consists of media stands, media workshop, mixed media zone, press conference room and media lounge. After the game, the media workshop was changed to a shop selling licensed products in over 400 different types. Visitors can also appreciate some of the featured props used at the opening ceremony of the Olympics and Paralympics, such as the Fou (an ancient percussion instrument), Guqin (a type of seven-stringed plucked instrument), oars and bamboo slips.

The Torch Square

The Torch Square is in the northeast of Bird's Nest base with the torch tower standing in middle. It is open to the public for free. The 32-meter tall “Lucky Cloud” Torch Tower was moved from the top of the National Stadium to its current location on January 16, 2011. At night, the lighting of the Torch Square synchronizes with the light of Bird’s Nest, forms magnificent and fascinating scenery. Besides, the Waxwork Museum in the west of Bird’s Nest first floor which contains wax images of eight former IOC presidents is also worth a visit. Water Cube is just opposite to the Bird's Nest.

How to get there

Take Subway Line 8 and get off at Olympic Sports Center Station or take Subway Line 5 and get off at East Datun Road.
Take Bus No. 380, 405, 408, 415 or 518 and get off at Huizhongli Stop;
Take Bus No. 108, 124, 328, 358 (interzone), 379, 380, 387, 406, 408, 407, 426, 430, 479, 653, 694, 758, 803, 849, 850, 858, 984, 985, Express 3 or Te 2 and get off at Anwai Street
Take Bus No. 207 or 417 and get off at East Beichen Road
Take Bus No. 510 or 839 and get off at North of Beichen Western Bridge
Take Bus No. 108, 124, 328, 358, 358 (interzone), 379, 380, 387, 406, 408, 419, 426, 430, 479, 653, 694, 758, 803, 849, 858, 984, 985 or Te 2 and get off at North Anhui Bridge
Take Bus No. 113, 386, 407, 656, 660, 689, 753, 939, 944 (Branch), 983 (Branch) or Yuntong 113 and get off at West Beichen Bridge or the Asian Games Village.