The Bird’s Nest, also known as the Beijing National Stadium, is located in the south of the central area of the Beijing Olympic Park, which is the main stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The opening and closing ceremonies of 2008 Summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, Track and Field Athletics and Football Finals, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies of 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games were all held here.
Quick Facts About Beijing Bird’s Nest
- Address:1 South National Stadium Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
- Opening Time:10:00~22:00 (stop checking tickets at 21:00), except in exceptional circumstances
Note: Bird’s Nest night landscape lighting closing time is 23:00.
- Bird’s Nest in Beijing covers an area of 20.4 hectares with a construction area of 25.8 hectares, and seats for about 91,000 spectators (among which there are 80,000 formal seats and 11,000 temporary seats).
- Its constructionbegan in December 2003 and was completed in March 2008, with a total cost of 2.267 billion RMB.
Beijing Bird’s Nest Features
Beijing Bird’s Nest is a top-level sports building and a large sports venue. The main structure is designed to have a service life of 100 years, with a fire resistance rating of Grade 1, an earthquake resistance intensity of Level 8, and a waterproof rating of Grade 1 for underground engineering. The main building is an oval bird’s nest shaped by a series of steel trusses around the bowl-shaped seating area, 333 meters long from north to south, 296 meters wide from east to west, and 69 meters high at the highest point.
The huge interwoven facade, the light-shadow mottled concourse hall, the steel structure staircase soaring up to the sky, and the forest-like steel structure ceiling… Different viewing angles will allow visitors to appreciate different architectural aesthetics.
Bird’s Nest in Beijing Now
Beijing Bird’s Nest (the National Stadium) has become a large professional place for citizens to participate in sports activities and enjoy entertainment events, as well as a landmark sports building and Olympic legacy since 2008. And a Happy Snow and Ice Festival is held here each year, from December to next February. As a multi-functional venue that combines sports, culture, art, recreation and technology, Bird’s Nest also functions as a popular tourist attraction for China tours.
Beijing Bird’s Nest Architecture and Concept
Beijing Bird’s Nest was designed by Jacques Herzog & Pierrede Meuron who were awarded the distinguished Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2001, famous Chinese architect Li Xinggang, etc. It is a great architectural work known as the “fourth generation sports stadium”.
√Related reading: Chinese Architecture Guide & Most Famous Examples
Unique Design
The exterior of Beijing Bird’s Nest presents a sense of dynamic flow, with the steel structure interweaving and extending like branches to support the weight of the entire building. This design of undulating curved lines not only gives people a strong visual impact, but also shows a high stability and safety in the structure.
The stadium concept is derived from traditional Chinese handicraft weaving technology, combining the firmness of reinforced concrete with the softness of weaving art. The shape of Beijing Bird’s Nest is a huge elliptical structure, like a nest and cradle that nurtures life, carrying the hope of mankind for the future.
Green Technology
Beijing Stadium Bird’s Nest has adopted advanced energy-saving design and environmental protection measures in its construction, such as good natural ventilation and lighting, comprehensive recovery of rainwater, utilization of renewable geothermal energy, and application of solar photovoltaic power generation technology. It is truly a large-scale “green building”.
Beijing Bird’s Nest is made of unique and advanced sound-absorbing material to make audience sitting in any position can clearly hear the broadcast. The designers also used hydrodynamics to simulate the natural ventilation of 91,000 people at the same time, which can let all spectators enjoy the natural light and fresh air.
Humanistic Care
The design of Beijing Bird’s Nest fully embodies humanistic care. The bowl-shaped seating area embraces the folding structure of the arena, and the upper and lower layers are well-arranged in space. There is not a single pillar inside the entire building. Regardless of where you sits, the visual distance to the center point of the arena is about 140 meters. And you will get a perfect view of the court and activities with no visual obstruction.
In the audience seats of Beijing Bird’s Nest, more than 200 wheelchair seats have been set up for people with disabilities. These wheelchair seats are slightly higher than regular seats, ensuring that disabled people have the same view as regular spectators. During the competition, hearing aids and wireless broadcasting systems are also provided on site to provide personalized services for people with hearing and visual impairments.
From the perspectives of many architectural experts, the Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing is not only a unique and historic landmark of the 2008 Olympic Games, but also has groundbreaking significance in the history of world architecture, being a historical witness to the development of Chinese and world architecture in the 21st century.
Beijing Bird’s Nest Tickets
Note: The Beijing Olympic Park is free for entrance, but entrance tickets are required for each venue.
Beijing Bird’s Nest Entrance Fee: 50 RMB, you can visit the interior of the National Stadium which is densely packed with nearly 100,000 red spectator stands, which is quite spectacular. At the same time, some exhibitions related to the Bird’s Nest construction project and Olympic themes are displayed.
If you buy an 80 RMB ticket for the Bird’s Nest Sky Corridor (referred to as “Top Beauty”), in addition to visiting the above content, you can also take the elevator to the top on the north side of the fifth floor of the Bird’s Nest – the original location of the Xiangyun Torch Tower. Through the steel mesh under your feet, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the interwoven steel structures and the scenery inside the Bird’s Nest; The surrounding Linglong Tower and the Olympic Park Scenic Avenue are all within sight; Looking far into Beijing City, if the weather is good, you can even see the outline of Jingshan Park to the south.
If you buy a VIP ticket for 110 RMB, in addition to the above two content, you will also add a VIP area with a golden hall, a golden passage, and a magnificent yet dignified lounge.
Best Time to Visit Beijing Bird’s Nest
Bird’s Nest in Beijing is the world’s first “Stadium for Both Summer and Winter Olympics”. As a landmark building representing the national image, the Bird’s Nest goes beyond pure sports or architectural concepts and carries profound social significance. It has become a platform for international communication and an important window for showcasing China’s image.
We highly recommend that the best time to visit Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) is from April to October in the evening as the decorated brilliant light with the breathtaking night view is quite unique. At night, the Bird’s Nest in Beijing lights up red/yellow, forming a nice contrast with the blue Water Cube (National Aquatics Center), which is suitable for shooting night scenes during your Beijing tours.
How to Go To Beijing Bird’s Nest
The Bird’s Nest stadium in Beijing, China is adjacent to the North 4th Ring road where the public transportation is highly convenient. And there are many buses, sightseeing line and subway line coming from all the directions. You can depend on their own preference to take any appropriate public transportation for them.
- Bus
You can take Bus No.82, No.419, No.538 or No.648 and get off at the East National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) Station.
- Subway
You can take Subway Line 8 or Line 15 and get off at the Olympic Park Station.
Introduction to Beijing Olympic Park
The Olympic Park of Beijing is located in the North 4th Ring Road, Chaoyang District. It covers a total area of 1,135 hectares, and it is divided into three sections:
- The northern section is the Olympic Forest Park covering 680 hectares, which is a near-natural and bio-diverse forest system composed of more than 200 species of plants.
- The central section is the primary site designed for hosting the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, so there are various main venues such as the Bird’s Nest (Beijing National Stadium), the Water Cube(Beijing National Aquatics Center), Beijing National Indoor Stadium, the Beijing Olympic Village, and so on. There is no denying that the most renowned venue for tourists is the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube, which are the notable landmarks of 2008 Beijing Olympics.
- The southern section is the Olympic Sports Center Stadium where many important sports events are held, such as the 11thAsian Games, the 7th National Games of China, the 21st Universiade, and the 2008 Olympic Games.
Attractions Nearby Bird’s Nest in Beijing
- Water Cube– One of the Best Venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics
- Forbidden City (Palace Museum)– Best of the World’s Five Imperial Palaces
- Tiananmen Square– Right in the Middle of Beijing City
- Temple of Heaven– the Largest Surviving Ancient Sacrificial Building in China
Customize your Beijing tours to Bird’s Nest >
