Beijing National Stadium, The Bird's Nest - Features and Travel Tips

Beijing National Stadium is located at the south section of Beijing Olympic Park, and was the main stadium of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Because of the creative structural space, outstanding appearance, and the beautiful natural harmony, Beijing National Stadium has become a popular attraction.

What to See?

Beijing National Stadium is no ordinary stadium but an exceptional example of architecture with a marvelous structure, wonderful design, and the spirit of the Olympics.

Features — Complex Structure, Environmentally Friendly, and Optimized Viewing

Complex Structure

Looking at it from the outside, it seems there are no rules to the structure. No matter whether you look at the main structures or the constructions between the primary and secondary levels, they are all complex. Multiple levels appear to converge in space.

Environmentally Friendly

The design of the Bird's Nest fully reflects the concerns of sustainable development. Adopting the world's most advanced and feasible environmental technology and building materials, the Bird's Nest has maximized the use of natural ventilation and lighting.

Optimized Viewing

The ingenious design ensures the distance of the line of sight from every seat to the center point is about 140 meters. To provide a more considerate service, there is space for over 200 wheelchairs, hearing aids are available, and a radio system makes broadcasts.

Exceptional Appearance

As its name suggests, the most attractive highlight is its outstanding appearance. It looks like a huge bird's nest that can hold 100,000 people. This wonderful and creative example of artwork was designed by excellent Chinese and foreign architects including Jacques Herzog, artist Ai Weiwei, and CADG.

The Bird's Nest's Air Corridor

The Bird's Nest is not a normal tourist attraction in Beijing, so the only way to visit it is to walk inside or look at it from the outside. The most beautiful angle to overlook this stadium from is found when walking along the Bird's Nest's Air Corridor. Along this corridor, you can go to the fifth floor and admire the whole structure of the Bird's Nest.

Travel Tips

Area: 21 hectares
Height: 69 meters
Service life: 100 years
Seated audience capacity: 91,000
Accommodates: 100,000 people
Construction cost: 2.27 billion yuan

Essentials

Location: Olympic Park, North Fourth Ring Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Admission price: 50 yuan; 80 yuan for both the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube
Opening hours: 9am to 7pm (April to October); 9am to 5:30pm (November to March)
Visiting duration: about 1 hour

How to Get to There?

By Bus

Take bus 82, 207, or 538, and get off at Beichen East Road Station.
Take bus 81, 510, or 607, and get off at Beijing West Bridge Station.
Take bus 207, 380, 406, 408, 415, 518, or 538, and get off at Huizhongli Station.
Take bus 386, 611, 656, 658, 660, 689, 740, 753, 939, 944, or 983. Get off at Yayun Village Station.
Take bus 108, 124, 207, 215, 328, 379, 380, 406, 408, 419, 426, 479, 611, 620, 653, 694, 758, 984, or 985. Get off at Anhui Bridge.

By Subway