Beijing Olympic Park

Beijing Olympic Park

Beijing Olympic Park is a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction.

Beijing Olympic Park is located in Chaoyang District, Beijing, at the northern end of the city’s central axis. It extends from the southern bank of the Qinghe River to the north, Beitu Cheng Road to the south, Anli Road and Beichen East Road to the east, and Lincui Road and Beichen West Road to the west, covering a total area of 11.59 square kilometers. It embodies the three core concepts of "technology, greenery, and humanity," and is a new urban district integrating multiple functions such as offices, commerce, hotels, culture, sports, conferences, and residential areas. During the 2008 Olympic Games, it hosted ten competition venues including the Bird’s Nest, Water Cube, National Indoor Stadium, Fencing Hall of the National Convention Center, Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, Yingdong Swimming Pool, Olympic Park Archery Field, Olympic Park Tennis Court, and Olympic Park Hockey Field. In addition, it included seven non-competition venues such as the Main Press Center (MPC), International Broadcasting Center (IBC), Olympic Reception Center, and the Olympic Village (Paralympic Village), making it a comprehensive public activity center for citizens that encompasses sports events, convention centers, science, education, culture, leisure, and shopping.

Beijing Olympic Park is divided into three parts: the northern section is the 6.8-square-kilometer Olympic Forest Park, the central section is the 3.15-square-kilometer central area, and the southern section is the 1.64-square-kilometer built and reserved area (Olympic Sports Center).

The built and reserved area was originally the National Olympic Sports Center, located south of North Fourth Ring Middle Road and east of Beichen Road. All venues here were used for the 1990 Asian Games — including the Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, and Yingdong Swimming Pool. The reserved land to its south will be developed into a cultural and business district. The central area is located in the middle of Olympic Park, south of Ke Hui Road and north of North Fourth Ring Middle Road. Its northwest corner houses the Olympic Village, while the southern part contains the main competition venues, including the National Stadium “Bird’s Nest,” National Aquatics Center “Water Cube,” National Indoor Stadium, and the National Convention Center (which served as the Fencing Hall and International Broadcasting Center during the Games). Additionally, the Olympic Multi-function Tower (Linglong Tower), Digital Beijing Building, and the Main Press Center are also located in this area. The Forest Park lies north of Ke Hui Road and uses ancient Chinese garden techniques such as digging lakes and piling earth to create landscapes like “Olympic Sea” and “Yangshan,” marking the northern extension of Beijing’s central axis. The park is divided into north and south sections by the Fifth Ring Road, with the southern section featuring more artificial landscapes and the northern section designed to be closer to nature. An “ecological corridor” bridges the two sections over the Fifth Ring Road. To the west are the Olympic Park Hockey Field, Olympic Park Archery Field, and Olympic Park Tennis Court (now called the National Tennis Center). Alternatively, excluding the Olympic Village, other zones are grouped by planned function into five sectors:

South of National Stadium North Road is the “Sports Function Zone,” where major sports facilities such as the National Stadium “Bird’s Nest,” National Aquatics Center “Water Cube,” National Indoor Stadium, Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium, and Yingdong Swimming Pool are located. Between National Stadium North Road and Ke Hui Road, on the east side of the Dragon-Shaped Water System, is the “Cultural and Educational Science Zone,” which includes the post-Games-opened China Science and Technology Museum New Hall, the planned China Art Museum New Hall, China National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, and other educational and cultural facilities. On the west side of the Dragon-Shaped Water System, between National Stadium North Road and Ke Hui Road, is the “Special Commercial Zone,” where the National Convention Center, Beijing North Star Hyatt Hotel, the sunken plaza commercial area, and the under-construction? Watchtower are located. Between Ke Hui Road and the Fifth Ring Road is the “Forest Recreation Zone,” corresponding to the southern part of the Forest Park. North of the Fifth Ring Road is the “Ecological Wellness Zone,” corresponding to the northern part of the Forest Park.

Olympic Park features different landscapes designed around the central axis that runs through the entire park, including three main axes — the central axis, the tree-lined avenue to the west, and the Dragon-Shaped Water System to the east. Three distinct spaces (Celebration Plaza, Sunken Garden, and Leisure Plaza) are set between the Dragon-Shaped Water System and the central axis, with landscaping also designed along both sides of the waterway. A landmark landscape tower, Linglong Tower, is located within the park and provided media services such as studios and TV broadcasting during the Games. In addition, historical relics within the park, including the Temple of the Goddess of the North Peak, have been incorporated into the landscape design.

The central axis itself is designed as a scenic boulevard, covering a total area of 400,000 square meters, with no buildings constructed along its length (referred to as a “void axis,” in contrast to the “solid axis” of the inner city that features structures). The boulevard stretches 3.7 kilometers from Panda Roundabout in the south to the South Gate Plaza of the Forest Park in the north, with a width varying between 21 and 60 meters. It is paved with gray granite to mimic the imperial pathways of ancient Chinese architecture, maintaining its integrity even at intersections with municipal roads.

The western tree-lined avenue is 100 meters wide and 2.4 kilometers long, extending from the north side of the Fourth Ring Road in the south to Ke Hui Road in the north, with a break on the east side of the National Aquatics Center and National Indoor Stadium to form a plaza. Trees in the avenue are spaced 6 meters apart in a matrix pattern, predominantly using native Beijing species. Due to cost considerations, not all trees are ginkgo; instead, the matrix is mainly composed of Chinese pine, poplar, scholar trees, and koelreuteria, with ginkgo-lined arrays on both sides. The ground cover transitions from hard permeable bricks in the south, to regular hedges in the middle, and finally to natural vegetation in the north, gradually blending into the forest.

The eastern Dragon-Shaped Water System is approximately 2.7 kilometers long, 20 to 125 meters wide, and covers a total area of 16.5 hectares. It extends from the south side of the Bird’s Nest in the south to Olympic Sea in the Forest Park in the north. Although an artificial waterway, its water comes from reclaimed water produced by sewage treatment plants. Ecological balance was artificially constructed during its development to achieve natural purification. The west bank’s Lakeside West Road serves as a non-motorized vehicle path, with a waterside platform near the Sunken Garden, supplemented by steps, platforms, and seating. The east bank features a strip of green space, with shorter and sparser vegetation on the west side and taller, denser planting on the east. This design not only facilitates viewing the central area from the east bank but also adds layered scenery when looking eastward from the central area.

Among the three spaces, the southern Celebration Plaza connects to the Central Axis Plaza, providing space for large-scale event crowd dispersal and outdoor activities for the nearby National Stadium, Aquatics Center, and Gymnasium during and after the Games, with fountains installed on both the north and south sides. The middle Sunken Garden is designed in conjunction with the nearby subway station and over 200,000 square meters of underground commercial space. With the theme “Open Forbidden City,” it features seven courtyards arranged from south to north, each adopting different designs (Courtyards 4 and 5 are separated by a road but share the same design), reflecting various elements of traditional Chinese culture. The northern Leisure Garden is naturally planted with vegetation, serving as a buffer zone as the central area transitions into the forest. Open spaces are left among the greenery for activities; the under-construction? Watchtower is located within the Leisure Garden.

The underground circular traffic corridor in the central area of Beijing Olympic Park is 9.9 kilometers long in total, with the main tunnel stretching 4.5 kilometers — making it the longest urban tunnel in Asia. The ring-shaped corridor generally follows the route of South First Road, Lakeside East Road, North First Road, and Scenic West Road within the central area. The eastern and western sections are 13 meters below ground, while the northern and southern sections are 7.8 meters deep. The main tunnel is 4,498.92 meters long, with an additional 1,713.8 meters, and connecting exits total 3,719.06 meters, bringing the full underground length to 9,931.78 meters. The tunnel is 12.25 meters wide with three lanes. Its unique feature is that it allows only counterclockwise one-way traffic, with a speed limit of 30 kilometers per hour. There are 25 entrances and exits connecting to the surrounding road network. On average, every 200–300 meters within the tunnel there is an exit, totaling 25 in all. These dense access points connect to nearly 10 nearby municipal roads such as the North Fourth Ring Road, Chengfu Road, Datun Road, Ke Hui Road, and Beichen Road. Of these, six entrances and seven exits connect to surface roads, while six entrances and six exits link to the Datun Road Tunnel and Chengfu Road Tunnel. The tunnel also connects to underground garages in surrounding buildings and reserves interfaces for unbuilt structures — 34 in total. Moreover, the tunnel isn’t just a transit passage; it is equipped with complete auxiliary facilities, including five independent pedestrian escape exits, one fire pump station, one monitoring center, as well as exhaust and supply fan rooms.