Olympic Green

Olympic Green is the large sports and cultural precinct in Beijing constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics in the Chaoyang District north of central Beijing. It groups the main Olympic venues, exhibition areas and extensive public open space.

The site includes the Beijing National Stadium (the Bird’s Nest), the National Aquatics Center (the Water Cube) and the Olympic Forest Park, among other sports venues and service buildings. The stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and athletics events in 2008; the aquatics centre hosted swimming and diving and has since been repurposed for public use and exhibitions.

The precinct is north of the city centre near the Fourth Ring Road and is served by several subway lines and bus routes; much of the area is accessible to the public, with ticketed tours for the main venues and large landscaped parks for leisure visits.

• Purpose: Built for the 2008 Summer Olympics, the complex remains a major public and events precinct with stadium tours and seasonal programming.

What to See #

• National Stadium: Beijing National Stadium (the "Bird's Nest"), the main stadium for the 2008 Olympics, used for the opening and closing ceremonies and major events.
• Aquatics Centre: National Aquatics Center (the "Water Cube"), built for Olympic swimming events and later adapted for public and leisure uses.
• Forest Park: Olympic Forest Park, a large landscaped park to the north of the main venues offering walking routes, lakes and green space.