Olympic Venues – Beijing Kids https://www.beijing-kids.com Tue, 30 Nov -001 00:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.2 From Our Archives – A Tale of Two Parks: Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2015/06/22/from-our-archives-a-tale-of-two-parks-shunyi-olympic-rowing-canoeing-park/ https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2015/06/22/from-our-archives-a-tale-of-two-parks-shunyi-olympic-rowing-canoeing-park/#respond

The Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park was the site of the rowing, canoeing, and 10km open-water swimming events during the 2008 Beijng Summer Olympics. Audiences roared as canoes raced neck and neck, rowboats zoomed around the track, and swimmers vied for first place. The Water Cube, also previously the site of aquatic Olympic sports, has been able to enjoy a certain amount of prosperity. But how does the Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park stack up to its bubbly brother?

Unfortunately, there really isn’t much of a comparison; while one can usually hear the sound of childish laughter emanating from the Water Cube, the only sound coming from the bubble-blasted edifice’s silent sibling is the empty echo of lost opportunity. Although various events have been held at the site, such as a celebration of the 2012 Dragon Boat Festival, it doesn’t seem that the Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park has yet found a consistent purpose. It frequently sits derelict, water drained from the once sparkling tracks.

Other attempts to enliven the area have also resulted in failure. After the end of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Shunyi District made the decision to invest RMB 300 million to build various motor sport facilities. But though the venue opened in October of 2010 and hosted a round of the 2010 Superleague Formula season, said round was a non-championship one. This was due to the track failing to gain the required FIA Grade 2 status required in order to host a championship event.

On the bright side, the area has found new life as a venue for sailing lessons. Clubs like Beijing Aofan Sailing Club and Imagine.Watersports have taken of the legacy of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and turned it into a selection of courses and memberships geared towards both individuals and families. Visitors can also take part in other water sports, such as kayaking, rafting, and more. 

Although the government previously planned to convert the area into a resort of some sort, such plans have apparently been dropped – at least for the time being. For now, you can still hear the sounds of merriment as kids and teens drop in for an afternoon sailing lesson.

 

This post first appeared on July 26, 2012 and has been slightly modified. 

Photos (in order of appearance): Gerry Boudens via Wikimedia Commons and Feng

]]> https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2015/06/22/from-our-archives-a-tale-of-two-parks-shunyi-olympic-rowing-canoeing-park/feed/ 0 A Tale of Two Parks: Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/26/a-tale-of-two-parks-shunyi-olympic-rowing-canoeing-park/ https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/26/a-tale-of-two-parks-shunyi-olympic-rowing-canoeing-park/#respond  

The Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park was the site of the rowing, canoeing, and 10km open-water swimming events during the 2008 Beijng Summer Olympics. Audiences roared as canoes raced neck and neck, rowboats zoomed around the track, and swimmers vied for first place. The Water Cube, also previously the site of aquatic Olympic sports, has been able to enjoy a certain amount of prosperity. But how does the Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park stack up to its bubbly brother?

Unfortunately, there really isn’t much of a comparison; while one can usually hear the sound of childish laughter emanating from the Water Cube, the only sound coming from the bubble-blasted edifice’s silent sibling is the empty echo of lost opportunity. Although various events have been held at the site, such as a celebration of the 2012 Dragon Boat Festival, it doesn’t seem that the Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park has yet found a consistent purpose. It frequently sits derelict, water drained from the once sparkling tracks.

Other attempts to enliven the area have also resulted in failure. After the end of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Shunyi District made the decision to invest RMB 300 million to build various motor sport facilities. But though the venue opened in October of 2010 and hosted a round of the 2010 Superleague Formula season, said round was a non-championship one. This was due to the track failing to gain the required FIA Grade 2 status required in order to host a championship event.

On the bright side, the area has found new life as a venue for sailing lessons. Clubs like Beijing Aofan Sailing Club have taken of the legacy of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and turned it into a selection of courses and memberships geared towards both individuals and families. Visitors can also take part in other water sports, such as kayaking.

Although the government previously planned to convert the area into a resort of some sort, such plans have apparently been dropped – at least for the time being. For now, you can still hear the sounds of merriment as kids and teens drop in for an afternoon sailing lesson.

Just in time for the 2012 London Summer Olympics, this post is part of a series called “Where Are They Now?”, which explores what became of four 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics venues: The Bird’s Nest, The Water Cube, the Beach Volleyball Ground at Chaoyang Park, and Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. This is the final installment of the series.

Photos (in order of appearance): Gerry Boudens via Wikimedia Commons and Feng

]]> https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/26/a-tale-of-two-parks-shunyi-olympic-rowing-canoeing-park/feed/ 0 Sand in My Toes and Sun in My Eyes: The Beach Volleyball Ground Rolls with the Punches https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/25/sand-in-my-toes-and-sun-in-my-eyes-the-beach-volleyball-ground-rolls-with-the-punches/ https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/25/sand-in-my-toes-and-sun-in-my-eyes-the-beach-volleyball-ground-rolls-with-the-punches/#respond

The Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground was the official venue of the beach volleyball matches for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. This is where China’s women’s beach volleyball team took home the silver and bronze medals. Even before the Olympics, the venue was used for the FIBV Beach Volleyball Women’s Challenger from August 13-14 in 2007. The Beach Volleyball Ground seats 12,000 people, with one competition ground, two warm-up grounds, and six training grounds.
 

Unlike the Bird’s Nest, The Beach Volleyball Ground enjoys a fairly busy post-Olympic life. The venue just hosted the 2012 FIBV match in May this year and differentiates itself by having been built specifically for beach volleyball games. By contrast, the Bird’s Nest is a non-specialized stadium that lends itself to a variety of events.
 
However, the Beach Volleyball Ground has its fair share of issues. The facilities are rusting, although probably not as critically as the bird’s nest. We spotted rust creeping out of a “decorative” hedged figure that Chaoyang Park kept as a memorabilia from the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.
 
 
 
In the summer of 2009, the 25,000sqm Olympic beach volleyball training ground was converted into a beach. The reported 17,000 tons of sand imported from Hainan was used to create a man-made beach that stretches for 15,000sqm along the lake in Chaoyang Park. Visitors must first pass through a large tree-lined lane to access the naked stretch of surf and sand. The sand is the most appealing feature. Three swimming pools are included, one of which is a shallow kiddie pool with childrens attractions and slides. There is also a shallow pool and standard competition pool. The swimming pools feature the same purification technology as the Water Cube, while the beach receives up to 3,000 visitors a day.
 
 
 
For beach volleyball enthusiasts, there are a few beach volleyball grounds available for a quick serve. For three seasons in a row, Chaoyang Park has hosted the Ocean Beach Fiesta (so named after all the glamorous sand). In summer 2010, the beach even hosted live viewings of FIFA. This year, the beach is open from June 16 to September 3. The “Olympic sand” at this beach is carefully taken care of. Workers clean the delicate sand daily after the beach closes and pick up anything that visitors leave behind. Two showers are installed on either side of the sand for “beach-goers” to wash off when needed.
 
Just in time for the 2012 London Summer Olympics, this post is part of a series called “Where Are They Now?”, which explores what became of four 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics venues: The Bird’s Nest, The Water Cube, the Beach Volleyball Ground at Chaoyang Park, and Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. This is the third installment of the series.

Photos (in order of appearance): Sophie Zhu (1 and 2) and http://www.hbrzbj.org (3)

]]> https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/25/sand-in-my-toes-and-sun-in-my-eyes-the-beach-volleyball-ground-rolls-with-the-punches/feed/ 0 From Hall of Glories to Kids’ Water Park: The Water Cube Stays Afloat https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/24/from-hall-of-glories-to-kids-water-park-the-water-cube-stays-afloat/ https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/24/from-hall-of-glories-to-kids-water-park-the-water-cube-stays-afloat/#respond

The Beijing National Aquatics Center (北京国家游泳中心), better known as the Water Cube, stands as a monument to the swimming competitions of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. It was in the confines of this immense bubble-covered structure that thousands of fans cheered on as Michael Phelps won eight gold medals and beat the world record for the 100m butterfly event.

But now, with the sounds of cheering long gone, what has become of “the fastest Olympic pool in the world”? Even with all its speed, has the Water Cube been able to out-swim the curse of irrelevance so frequently visited upon other former Olympic venues?

The answer, quite fortunately, is yes. The Water Cube has been in almost constant use since 2009, when it was opened to the public on certain days of the week. From ordinary swim tests to lavish weddings, The Water Cube has seen it all. Formerly filled with the graceful moments of professional swimmers, the bubble-clad behemoth has even been host to grace of a different kind: a stunning production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.  More than a few jewelers and other artists have taken the graceful curves of the foamy edifice as inspiration for a plethora of souvenirs.

The Water Cube’s stint as a performance hall didn’t last long; the frothy structure was closed to the public in October of 2009 in order ready the complex for yet another transformation. This time, a fragment of the complex would become a water park.  Reopened in early August of 2010, on the 2-year anniversary of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, the redesigned facility became Happy Magic Water Cube Park.

Where Olympic athletes once gathered to discuss strategies, smaller, slightly less professional swimmers now giggle and splash as plastic bubbles and jellyfish float through the air. The park takes up 12,000sqm of the former Olympic venue and features 13 water slides and rides, not to mention the wave pool and a lazy river. In addition, 60 or so lifeguards watch over the enormous park. As if that weren’t enough, there is even a spa area for exhausted parents. The Olympic pool has been left intact for swimming matches, and other areas of the park are available for exercise and various events.

Just in time for the 2012 London Summer Olympics, this post is part of a series called “Where Are They Now?”, which explores what became of four 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics venues: The Bird’s Nest, The Water Cube, the Beach Volleyball Ground at Chaoyang Park, and Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. This is the second installment of the series.

 

Photos (in order of appearance): Sophie Zhu (1) and Dina Mao (2 and 3)

]]> https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/24/from-hall-of-glories-to-kids-water-park-the-water-cube-stays-afloat/feed/ 0 The Birds Have Flown the Coop: What Happened to The Bird’s Nest? https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-birds-have-flown-the-coop-what-happened-to-the-birds-nest/ https://www.beijing-kids.com/blog/2012/07/23/the-birds-have-flown-the-coop-what-happened-to-the-birds-nest/#respond  

 
The Bird’s Nest (niaochao in Chinese), also known as Beijing National Stadium, is a behemoth structure designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog and de Meuron, with Chinese artist Ai Weiwei consulting on the project. The design by Li Xinggang of Chinese Architecture Design and Research Group (CADG) was chosen from several submitted bids. The stadium cost USD 423 million dollars to build and currently seats 80,000 people, a 12 percent decrease from the Olympics’ maximum capacity of 91,000.
 

The Bird’s Nest hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics events, and football final of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics from August 8 to 24, 2008. This is the place where Lionel Messi led the Argentinean football team to victory in the football finals against Nigeria and Jamaican track and field superstar Usain Bolt won three gold medals and set the world record of 19.30s in the 200m sprint. The Bird’s Nest was also the venue for the Paralympics from September 6-17, 2008.

 
 
After the Olympics, the Bird’s Nest hosted the opera Turandot and the Supercoppa Italiana (Italian Super Cup) final in 2009. Other events include the Race of Champions, a friendly football match between Premier League team and Birmingham City, the annual Bird’s Nest Snow Festival, and the Supercoppa Italiana 2011. Upcoming events include Arsenal FC and Manchester City FC in the China Cup this Friday and the 2015 World Championships in Athletics.
 
A shopping mall and hotel were announced in January 2009, a plan that is slated to take 3-5 years to complete. The Bird’s Nest was supposed to be the home base for Beijing Guo’an, but the football team backed out after citing the embarrassment of only being able to draw a 10,000-person crowd for a venue that can seat 80,000. This, coupled with the fact that the stadium doesn’t include a retractable roof (which was taken out of the original plan so that that the building would look more “bird nest like”), are major reasons why this large outdoor venue has trouble drawing in events and crowds.
 
Currently, the steel stadium is suffering from serious corrosion and rust damage. According to a report done by the European Venue Management Institute EVMI), the 45,000 tons of steel built into the Bird’s Nest are in need of serious attention.   
 
As early as May of 2009, EVMI was informed that a team of European-based structural engineers were called onsite. Without a regular and frequent calendar of events, it’s unlikely that the Bird’s Nest will make enough revenue required for the maintenance of such a complicated structure.
 
According to welding expert Ed Craig, there are many flaws in the Bird’s Nest’s welding processes and procedures. The materials used were inappropriate, welding techniques were improper, and quality control before and after the building process wasn’t up to standards. For a full report, visit his website.
 
Still, the Bird’s Nest continues to remain profitable, drawing in crowds of 20,000-30,000 daily at the admission price of RMB 50per person. The venue costs approximately USD 9 million to maintain yearly.
 
Although it is now more of a landmark just for tourist attraction, the stadium is still continuing to seek sports and entertainment, and is still an iconic symbol of Beijing, and the glory that opened the doors of the West to the new China and new Beijing.
 
Just in time for the 2012 London Summer Olympics, this post is part of a series called “Where Are They Now?”, which explores what became of four 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics venues: The Bird’s Nest, The Water Cube, the Beach Volleyball Ground at Chaoyang Park, and Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. Check back this week from Monday to Thursday for the complete installments.

 

Photos by Sophie Zhu

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