Tianhe Sports Center in Guangzhou

Tianhe Sports Center in Guangzhou

Built with an investment of 300 million yuan by the governments of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City to host the Sixth National Games, Tianhe Sports Center broke ground on July 4, 1984, and was completed on August 30, 1987. It has been praised as a sports facility with "first-class speed, first-class architecture, and first-class equipment," and has won national honors including the First Prize for Outstanding Design and the Luban Prize. The center covers a total area of approximately 580,000 square meters.

Today, Tianhe Sports Center has become a symbol of Guangzhou’s urban development achievements. In addition to its comprehensive sports facilities and equipment, it also boasts a beautiful landscaped environment. With lush green lawns and subtropical garden charm, the center complements the grand sports venues to form a park-like sports complex that attracts tens of thousands of citizens for exercise and recreation every day. Currently, besides hosting various sporting events and activities, Tianhe Sports Center also organizes numerous other events during holidays. Major annual citywide events held here include the International Tourism Culture Festival, International Food Festival, Spring Festival Flower Market, Beer Festival, as well as real estate exhibitions and home decoration expos. It is a shining highlight along Guangzhou’s new urban central axis. Tianhe Sports Center was awarded the China Construction Engineering Luban Prize in 1988.

Components

Tianhe Sports Center covers an area of 530,000 square meters. Its main structures include: a stadium with 60,000 seats, a gymnasium with 9,000 seats, and a swimming pool hall with 3,000 seats. These three major venues feature unique design elements: first, they adopt an open style to facilitate ventilation; second, they use large beams, columns, and spans, creating a majestic and spectacular appearance that embodies the beauty of motion and strength. They reflect the architectural style of 1980s China and remain the largest sports venues in Guangzhou to this day.

Originally composed mainly of the stadium, gymnasium, and swimming pool, Tianhe Sports Center has continually expanded after the Sixth National Games. Subsequent additions include a baseball field, tennis courts, bowling alley, gateball court, fitness park, tree-shaded dance ground, outdoor basketball court, badminton court, and table tennis fitness area—forming a comprehensive venue that hosts both competitive sports and mass participation activities, as well as large-scale sports expos. To encourage public fitness, the center has been open to citizens free of charge since 1995, attracting about 5 million visitors annually. Tianhe Gymnasium is a multipurpose sports facility capable of hosting various indoor competitions to international standards, as well as large-scale cultural performances and conferences. Before the 2001 National Games, the gymnasium underwent a complete renovation, adding reception rooms, locker rooms, warm-up areas, doping control rooms, rest areas, and lighting and sound systems that meet international competition requirements. For large-scale performances, it also installed movable stages, professional sound systems, and complete stage lighting.

Tianhe Stadium

Located at the heart of Tianhe Sports Center, the stadium boasts a magnificent and imposing structure with a bold and rugged style, resembling a galloping steed.

Completed in 1987, this stadium served as the main venue for the highly anticipated Sixth National Games of the People's Republic of China. It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, eight rehearsals, four previews, one final dress rehearsal, eleven track and field finals, and soccer semifinals and finals—totaling twenty-nine events. Thanks to its advanced facilities and the dedication of its staff, the Sixth National Games were conducted here with "grandeur, warmth, brilliance, and excellence," earning high praise from then-IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch.

Tianhe Stadium is a hub for sports and fitness. Over the past decade, it has actively organized and hosted more than 300 municipal and national-level sports competitions and events, attracting audiences of over five million. Notable events include the opening and closing ceremonies and finals of the first Women’s World Cup in November 1991, and the track and field competitions of the Third National Games for Persons with Disabilities in March 1992. World-renowned teams and athletes, such as Italy’s AC Milan and Brazil’s Flamengo, have also left their mark on the stadium’s turf.

Covering an area of over 60,000 square meters, Tianhe Stadium features a robust horse-shoe shaped facade, with 210-meter-long covered stands on the east and west sides. It accommodates 60,000 spectators and is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. As the main venue of the Sixth National Games...

...it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, soccer finals, and dozens of other significant domestic and international events, including the finals of the first Women’s World Cup, as well as matches featuring legendary teams like Italy’s AC Milan and Brazil’s Flamengo.

In the golden autumn of 2001, the Ninth National Games of the People's Republic of China were grandly held in Guangdong. The thrilling soccer finals kicked off at Tianhe Stadium. Nestled in the heart of Tianhe Sports Center, the stadium features a majestic and imposing structure, with a bold and rugged style that resembles a galloping steed.

This season, the Chinese Super League’s rising club Guangzhou Hengda Football Club uses Tianhe Stadium as its home ground.