Do you dream of becoming the next Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt or Simone Biles? Whether you are an amateur athlete or someone who prefers to sit in a corner and quietly read about sports, you may find the Beijing National Stadium museum particularly fascinating! When my parents and I visit a famous historical sight, it’s typically something ancient in Beijing. But this time we had a little change. This time, we visited the very modern Beijing National Olympic Stadium Museum.

The Beijing National Stadium 北京国家体育场 started its construction in 2003, when it was declared that Beijing would be hosting the 2008 Olympic Games. This building was completed within five years, and they really put the pedal to the gold medal. The structure of the Beijing National Stadium represents the sticks and twigs put together to form a nest, giving it the nickname “the Bird’s Nest 鸟巢.” The Bird’s Nest is not only famous for hosting the 2008 and 2022 Olympics, but it’s also celebrated for its glorious structure. The stadium’s seating capacity can hold up to 91,000 attendees!

You can have a chance to become a dignitary or VIP guest of the Bird’s Nest by taking the escalator from the ground floor to the second floor! It is called the Golden escalator, and while the escalator was not golden itself, the walls were constructed with shiny golden tiles. And it gave me absolute satisfaction to run my hands along these beautiful golden walls.

The most unique feature of this experience was exploring the rooftop of the stadium.

I have been to another Olympic stadium before, in Athens, Greece, where the Olympics originated. I even ran the marble track with my dad, but I was not allowed to walk on the roof. In fact, the stadium in Greece did not even have a roof! But at the Beijing National Stadium, you can take the elevator from the sixth floor and walk up a staircase that will lead you to the stadium roof! I am positive that not many other buildings allow visitors to walk on the rooftop. Though it was terrifying to be so high up, it was still quite remarkable to look over the Olympic Park along with the well-known Water Cube and Olympic Towers.

There are also many Olympic props from the 2008 to 2022 Games in the stadium.  We saw a large percussion drum that was used in the 2008 Opening Ceremony. Very impressive!!! We also saw one of the very first fans that was used in the fan dance Olympic opening of 2008! If you have dreams of becoming a famous Olympic track star, you may begin your career by trying out the simulated race tracks. It was fantastic seeing many artifacts of Olympic history.

Since the Beijing National Stadium is a museum, you may learn about the history of the stadium by going on a Virtual Reality tour.  It is by the entrance of the stadium. It will take you on a journey through the Bird’s Nest and tell you about the history of the stadium.

Although the Bird’s Nest historic events – the 2008 and 2022 Games – were a while ago, the stadium is still in operation. In fact, when we were visiting, we noticed that it was being prepared for another event. Therefore, the stadium facilities were so clean and organized, with many water dispensers throughout the stadium that served paper cups where you could get a drink. There were also some vending machines. The building did have a lot of restaurants, like KFC and McDonald’s, and there were plenty of restaurants around the Olympic Park.

Even if you are not much of a sports fanatic, the Beijing National Stadium is still a phenomenon to visit. Stay tuned, and stay reading!!!

Find it: 
Beijing National Stadium, Bird’s Nest 北京国家体育场·鸟巢
1 Guojiatiyuchang Lu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区国家体育场路1号
Price: approximately RMB 263 for two adults and one kid

Images: Clark Yap

As well as traditional snow and ice sports such as skiing and skating, recent reports have suggested that a surprising new entry might feature in the Beijing Winter Olympics: mahjong.

Yes, that’s right. A game perhaps more associated with old people sitting around in parks or housewives with secret gambling problems, mahjong has been mooted as a possible “demonstration event” at the 2022 Games. Demonstration events haven’t been a part of the Olympics since 1992, when for both Curling in the Winter Games and Taekwondo in the Summer it was a step to full inclusion. Other sports have not been so lucky: pigeon racing, cannon shooting and kite flying all failed to make the leap from demonstration to Olympic sport.

The origins of mahjong are murky and disputed. Despite some claims for ancient provenance, most experts agree that it emerged in its modern form in Shanghai in the late 19^th century, when the crucial shift from cards to tiles took place. In the 1920s the game became popular in the west, and the craze for Mahjong parties where guests dressed up in “Chinese” costumes even inspired a novelty pop song, “Since Ma Is Playing Mahjong.”

Mahjong faces some challenges before being accepted as an Olympic event though. It has only recently been admitted by the International Mind Sports Association (IMSA), and has to wait in line behind longer-established games like chess and bridge.

“The six mind sports can be divided into three levels”, according to Chen Zelan, President of IMSA. “Chess and bridge, which have already been recognized as sports by the IOC, have the priority to be admitted to the Games. Among the other four mind sports, go and draughts are official member sports of SportAccord, while Xiangqi and Mahjong are still just observers of it, let alone (could they be included in the) Winter Olympic Games.”

There’s also the many different variations of the rules, and the strong element of luck involved. However the prospects for Olympic Mahjong are not as dim as it may appear. From 1912 to 1948, poetry was an official event at the Games, for which medals were awarded. So anything is possible.

Photos: Audrey via Flickr, pinterest.com