BEIJING - National Stadium (80,000) [Archive] - Page 12

nomarandlee

January 31st, 2009, 03:21 AM

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-birdsnestfuture&prov=ap&type=lgns

Beijing’s Bird’s Nest to anchor shopping complex
Jan 30, 1:04 am EST

BEIJING (AP)—The area around Beijing’s massive Bird’s Nest stadium will be turned into a shopping and entertainment complex in three to five years, a state news agency said Friday.

Officially known as Beijing National Stadium, the showpiece of the Beijing Olympics has fallen into disuse since the end of the games. Paint is already peeling in some areas, and the only visitors these days are tourists who pay about $7 to walk on the stadium floor and browse a pricey souvenir shop.

Plans call for the $450 million stadium to anchor a complex of shops and entertainment outlets in three to five years, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing operator Citic Group. The company will continue to develop tourism as a major draw for the Bird’s Nest, while seeking sports and entertainment events.

The only confirmed event at the 91,000-seat stadium this year is Puccini’s opera “Turandot,” set for Aug. 8—the one-year anniversary of the Olympics’ opening ceremony. The stadium has no permanent tenant after Beijing’s top soccer club, Guo’an, backed out of a deal to play there.

Details about the development plans were not available. A person who answered the phone at Citic Group on Friday said offices were closed for the Chinese New Year holiday.

A symbol of China’s rising power and confidence, the stadium, whose nickname described its lattice of exterior steel beams, may never recoup its hefty construction cost, particularly amid a global economic slump. Maintenance of the structure alone costs about $8.8 million annually, making it difficult to turn a profit, Xinhua said...

ElVoltageDR

January 31st, 2009, 04:32 AM

Seriously? Sounds like they're wasting away a great sporting facility.

Walbanger

January 31st, 2009, 08:13 AM

May be they could carve the the stadium up and ship it to Perth, we could really use such a stadium for our AFL teams;) Straight swap for some more Iron Ore.

Jim856796

January 31st, 2009, 08:53 AM

^^Whoa, whoa, we're not doing that.

They are going to build a shopping complex near the stadium, what about the new hotel? The Beijing National stadium has been reported to fall into disuse since the end of the Games, but let's hope that disuse isn't severe. Since the paint has started to peel in a few areas, why not repaint this stadium? And the capacity of the stadium should be reduced to about 80,000 right about now.

berkshire royal

January 31st, 2009, 02:35 PM

The Italian Super Cup is going to be played there thats one event set :lol:

Its AlL gUUd

January 31st, 2009, 02:54 PM

berkshire royal

January 31st, 2009, 03:20 PM

^^
And people criticise London for doing that and not being trying to be extravagant and spend £1billion on an athletics stadium that isn’t really needed :ohno:

Bobby3

January 31st, 2009, 05:20 PM

Why do people call Athens a white elephant? It has two regular tenants.

Apperently they didn't think Chinese soccer was "good enough" to grace the Bird's Nest.

New York City 20??

January 31st, 2009, 06:14 PM

Why do people call Athens a white elephant? It has two regular tenants.

Apperently they didn't think Chinese soccer was "good enough" to grace the Bird's Nest.

Yeah, Athens Olympic Stadium is not a white elephant or whatever. But Olympic venues don't start and end at the main stadium; there are many other venues involved and the Greeks decided to not build any of them completely temporary nor plan a post-Games use. So the legacy of the 2004 Games is not ideal (though I think you can argue that is not a total disaster either).

And actually, Beijing’s Guo’an football (soccer) club was suppose to move into the Bird's Nest, but they backed out because they wouldn't be able to afford the rent.

Bobby3

January 31st, 2009, 07:44 PM

New York City 20??

January 31st, 2009, 10:19 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=soccer&id=3644581
"We don't want to put any shame on the Bird's Nest," club owner Guo'an Group's vice president Luo Ning was quoted by the paper as saying.

"The Bird's Nest is certainly great. But currently, Chinese football does not deserve it," Luo said.

Well...

Link: Around the Rings - Beijing Faces Post-Olympic Dilemmas (http://aroundtherings.com/articles/view.aspx?id=31216)

The football club, Guo'an, a Chinese Super League Team, was expected to move in, but backed out of a deal because rent was too expensive.

Link: Telegraph - Beijing suffers the curse of the Olympic city (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/4076544/Beijing-suffers-the-curse-of-the-Olympic-city.html)

Attempts to attract the city's main football team to move to the ground have failed – it is simply too big for the club's crowds.

So what's the true story? Both?

Its AlL gUUd

February 1st, 2009, 02:12 AM

And actually, Beijing’s Guo’an football (soccer) club was suppose to move into the Bird's Nest, but they backed out because they wouldn't be able to afford the rent.

this was meant to be the post games use?? they honestly thought an appropriate post games use would be for a Chinese football club to play in a 90,000 seater stadium? just shows it wasn't thought out very well.

Bobby3

February 1st, 2009, 05:06 AM

I think there's a chance it's both, by that I mean that press release is Guoan's way of trying not to insult the stadium and making sure they don't have to use it.

Also, China doesn't play matches there which is odd considering the name.

marrio415

February 1st, 2009, 12:14 PM

^^
And people criticise London for doing that and not being trying to be extravagant and spend £1billion on an athletics stadium that isn’t really needed :ohno:

I hear that dude thats why talking to people on here and trying to explain always falls on deaf ears well people will hopefully think yeah we understand now what london is trying to do

foxmulder_ms

February 1st, 2009, 10:34 PM

Its design is wonderful, it is one of the best looking structures on Earth. Remaining is detail.

Just out of curiosity, what type of mall is planning? Are they going to use the space under spectator stands?

Zorba

February 4th, 2009, 07:58 AM

can't say im suprised its gone into disuse, i just can't understand why the chinese officials didn't have a plan of use post games. such a shame to see a great stadium like that end up not being used and becoming a white elephant. It actually reflects quite badly on the Olympic Movement (lets not forget Montreal and Athens)...Looks like London is trying to avoid such a situation.

:ohno:

I wish people would get informed before making such references.......I honestly don't mean it as an insult to you personally, but people will read your message and might think it is in some way accurate, thus leading to a further spreading of misconceptions surrounding the legacy of the 2004 games.

In reality, the Athens Olympic Stadium is probably the most regularly used Olympic Stadium in recent history. Two of the three biggest football clubs in Greece (Panathinaikos, AEK) call the stadium home and use it for League, Cup, and European Cup matches. Not to mention the yearly rally, concercts, and track and field events which also take place at the stadium.

Its AlL gUUd

February 4th, 2009, 11:34 PM

:ohno:

I wish people would get informed before making such references.......I honestly don't mean it as an insult to you personally, but people will read your message and might think it is in some way accurate, thus leading to a further spreading of misconceptions surrounding the legacy of the 2004 games.

In reality, the Athens Olympic Stadium is probably the most regularly used Olympic Stadium in recent history. Two of the three biggest football clubs in Greece (Panathinaikos, AEK) call the stadium home and use it for League, Cup, and European Cup matches. Not to mention the yearly rally, concercts, and track and field events which also take place at the stadium.

ok, i think i should've emphasised the other olympic venues which lie empty in Athens and maybe not the main stadium in itself. However in Athens it is an existing stadium so i guess we can't say it was built without a future in mind since it was there before the games, whereas in Beijing its a brand new stadium without any well thought out plan of use for the future.

hkskyline

February 5th, 2009, 04:23 AM

5 months after Beijing Games, the Bird's Nest looks for a post-Olympic purpose
10 January 2009

BEIJING (AP) - Just five months after the Beijing Olympics, the Bird's Nest is a cavernous museum searching for a new purpose.

The iconic National Stadium drew acclaim for its daring design, an engineering marvel that borders on sculpture. Now it draws about 10,000 tourists a day -- mostly Chinese -- who pay 50 yuan (about $7) to walk on the stadium floor, then climb through the expensive seats to a souvenir shop hawking pricey mementos recalling Zhang Yimou's dazzling opening ceremony or the three world records set by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt.

A symbol of China's rising power and confidence, the stadium may never recoup the $450 million the government spent to build it, particularly as China's economic slump worsens.

It has yet to draw big-ticket events, has no permanent tenant, and only one date has been announced for this year. Puccini's opera "Turandot," directed by Zhang, is set for Aug. 8 -- the one-year anniversary of the Olympics' opening ceremony.

This is a long-term worry for the company that manages the stadium.

Beijing CITIC Consortium Stadium Operations Co. Ltd., part of a government-owned investment company, says the stadium can generate annual revenue of $30 million, even while acknowledging that estimate is "optimistic."

This may concern China's communist government, but visitors don't seem to mind.

"I'm not clear about the plans for the stadium, but I just feel that there'll be lots of culture and sports events here," said Gao Yunfei, bundled up against gusting winds and 20-degree temperatures as he left after touring the venue on a recent afternoon.

Told the stadium might remain mostly vacant, Gao replied: "I feel that would be a little wasteful."

Paint is already peeling in places inside the stadium and soot dulls the gleaming lattice work, details probably overlooked by tourists -- many from outside Beijing -- who travel to visit the stunning structure.

Despite Christmas decorations that have been in place for a month, the stadium is largely a cheerless place, particularly in the dead of winter.

"No matter how much was spent, the stadium is necessary as a symbol of the country," said Li Bo, a young woman visiting from Chengdu, a city in southwestern China. "I'm sure the government will have ways to deal with any problem."

The stadium didn't come cheaply, and neither do the official souvenirs.

A metallic replica of the stadium goes for 4,800 yuan (about $700), a replica torch kit is 2,900 (about $430) and baseball caps are a more affordable 98 ($14). Of course, street vendors outside the stadium offer counterfeit merchandise at one-tenth the price. Inside, a public-address announcer warns people against buying fakes.

A few tourists even fork over another 200 yuan (about $30) to be photographed -- dressed in the red and yellow uniforms of the game's officials -- standing on the winner's podium holding a bouquet of roses in one hand and waving an Olympic torch with the other.

The Bird's Nest was one of 12 venues built in Beijing for the Olympics. All told, there were 31 venues (eight temporary and 11 renovated) in the city. Five more were outside Beijing.

Most of the temporary venues will be razed. Some of the permanent ones have found uses, notably venues for swimming and tennis.

The Water Cube, site of Michael Phelps' record eight gold medals, will be converted to a waterpark and swimming center with much of the seating removed. The tennis stadium will host the China Open later this year, a lucrative WTA-ATP event.

The Bird's Nest is a special case.

Rent was too expensive to lure the city's top soccer club, Guo'an, which backed out of a deal to play in the 91,000-seat stadium. Plans calls for scaling it back to 80,000 seats. The government-run China Daily recently described the Bird's Nest as a "tourist trap," and senior citizens have complained there are no half-price tickets.

Dennis Howard, professor of business at the University of Oregon who specializes in sports marketing, said major stadiums in the U.S. don't pay their way and he suggested it would be no different in China.

"The only way to build an economic justification is on the ability of the facility ... (to) host events that attract new money into the Beijing or China economy," Howard said in an e-mail. "These would have to be large-scale international events that attract thousands of foreign visitors. The key question is whether a plan has been formulated to host a number of events of this magnitude."

Apparently there is such a plan. But will it work?

So far, the Puccini opera in August is the only booking for the stadium that has been confirmed by CITIC, the management company. Italian newspapers have reported the Italian Super Cup final will be played at the stadium this summer, but CITIC has not confirmed it.

In a reply to written questions from The Associated Press, CITIC officials said five events had been confirmed and five others were still in the discussion stage. They offered no more details.

CITIC said its operation plan calls for generating annual income of 200 million yuan (about $30 million) to cover maintenance and other expenses, and produce a small profit. It was not clear whether debt service was included in the calculations.

"It is an optimistic estimate that the investment can be recovered in 30 years," CITIC said.

Added Howard, the business professor: "Given the absence of tenants and limited prospects for corporate support, where's the $30 million coming from?"

The management company said that bids for lucrative naming rights -- potentially a large revenue producer -- were not being taken, partly due to the slowing Chinese economy and because of the iconic nature of the stadium.

Many Chinese oppose a commercial name for the stadium, comparing it to national symbols like the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower.

"Many companies have shown interest in the naming rights," the company said. "However, we will not accept bids for naming rights, believing the Chinese public would oppose such a move. However, it is possible we may still seek individual sponsorship for matches, performances or areas inside the stadium. These sponsorships would not exclude foreign companies.

"A naming of the stadium may not fit the Bird's Nest, and we must fully consider the feelings of the Chinese population and explore ways to exploit the value of the brand and preserve the spirit and legacy of the Games."

Officials hope China's huge population of 1.3 billion will give the Bird's Nest an advantage over main stadiums built for other Olympics. The stunning architecture -- designed by Swiss Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron -- is also a selling point as a tourist attraction.

"The stadium is more unique than other Olympic stadiums," CITIC said. "The decisive thing will be the ability to exploit this intangible asset. ... The Bird's Nest is special because it's not simply a stadium for one Olympics, but also a symbol of national pride and hope."

In other countries, the Bird's Nest might be revealed as a white elephant -- an expensive possession with little commercial value. But in China, the government and state-controlled media are unlikely to advertise the fact and citizens will never know the real cost.

Hein Verbruggen, who headed the International Olympic Committee's oversight panel for the Beijing Games, hopes the stadium will pay for itself and find a purpose.

"It's clear the IOC doesn't want any white elephants," Verbruggen said in an interview with the Associated Press. "We've paid a price for that. Our product is an image product. You have to cut out everything that can negatively impact the image."

Verbruggen was impressed by China's organization of the games and confident top officials had a plan to make the stadium financially viable.

"I don't know if this is something that will cost them a lot of money or not," Verbruggen said. "If it does, they must have calculated it beforehand because I haven't come across one little detail they have not calculated or thought about."

--------

AP Sports Writer Stephen Wilson in London contributed to this report.

Ganis

February 6th, 2009, 10:08 PM

man, so glad they wasted so much steel and money on this. you also have to love the Communist fed answers of the people around the stadium... "The Government will take care of it" "Its a symbol of China!" What? Chipped red paint and soot covered steel is a sign of china... wait... it is. this will go the way or USSR MONUMENTS... dull, un kept up with, tarnished.

This makes London look like the smart kid in class.

hkskyline

February 7th, 2009, 04:43 PM

Source : http://www.fotop.net/pakhang29/2009_01_01

http://images5.fotop.net/albums5/pakhang29/2009_01_01/DSC_5486A.jpg

http://images5.fotop.net/albums5/pakhang29/2009_01_01/DSC_5500A.jpg

hkskyline

February 9th, 2009, 07:56 AM

Tourists replace sportsmen in the Bird's Nest
Peh Shing Huei, China Bureau Chief
8 February 2009
Straits Times

China's iconic stadium is losing its glamour fast

Beijing - Just six months after the breathtaking opening of the Beijing Olympics, the Bird's Nest stadium is looking a lot less glamorous.

The paint is peeling and stains have appeared on its famous lattice design.

Accelerating the deterioration of the iconic National Stadium is the absence of a permanent tenant. It has not hosted a big event since the Paralympics last September and is in real danger of becoming a big white Chinese elephant.

'It's such a pity that it has been empty all these months,' said tourist Gao Qiuling, who was visiting from the northern Tianjin port city, as she toured the venue with her family last Friday.

Visitors like her, paying 50 yuan (S$11) each to enter the stadium, are the only ones warming the Nest these days.

The city's main football club Guo'an backed out of a deal to make the stadium its home because the rent was too high. That deprived it of an anchor tenant.

So far, only one date has been announced for this year. Puccini's opera Turandot, directed by Zhang Yimou, will be staged in the Nest on Aug 8.

The event will give Zhang a chance to add an encore to his masterly Olympics opening ceremony exactly a year after he astonished the entire world with it.

With the local media reporting that the stadium's maintenance fees will run up to 70 million yuan per year, the empty calendar is a serious concern, especially in the midst of the financial meltdown.

'The Beijing Olympic Games was simply a political show,' said Dr Xu Guoqi, author of Olympic Dreams: China And The Sports, 1895-2008. 'The stadiums were designed for political purposes and not really for financial or economic considerations.'

The Bird's Nest is the showpiece among Beijing's 31 Olympics venues. Twelve of them were built just for the Games, while 11 were renovated sites and eight were temporary grounds.

Most of the stadiums are situated within universities so that they could be used by students after the Games.

For instance, Singapore's table tennis silver medal was earned in the Beijing University stadium.

Some temporary grounds, such as the baseball stadium, are being torn down.

The Bird's Nest though, can suffer, or enjoy, no such fate.

As a symbol of national pride, the stadium takes on greater significance than the others. But the burden could mean it will never recoup the US$450 million (S$679 million) that the Chinese government spent on the architectural marvel.

Suggestions to sell lucrative naming rights to the stadium were rejected. Citic Consortium - a government-owned company which manages the stadium - said that might hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.

Citic is aiming for US$30 million in annual revenue but acknowledged recently that is an optimistic target.

But unlike other Olympic cities such as Sydney and Athens which also struggle to support their main stadiums, analysts believe that Beijing has one big advantage over any other city in the world.

'Because of the rapid growth in domestic tourism and the tremendous interest that Chinese tourists, both domestic and overseas, have in seeing what have been publicised as icons of 'China's great national architecture', this will provide a source of revenue that far exceeds tourist revenue at other Olympic stadiums,' said Olympics analyst Susan Brownell.

Indeed, some 10,000 tourists a day - mostly Chinese - pay to visit an empty stadium, walking on the field and snapping pictures of vacant seats.

During the recent Chinese New Year break, the number doubled, humbling even the stretch of the Great Wall of China nearest the capital, which registered 17,000 climbers a day.

Last Friday morning, there were so many tourists that security officers blocked some from nearing the ticket counter - temporarily, of course - for fear of overcrowding.

Citic is keen to explore this new strategy. The official Xinhua news agency announced last month that the stadium will be developed with tourism as its main draw.

The area around the Bird's Nest will be converted into a shopping and entertainment complex in three to five years, reported Xinhua.

It could turn out to be a wise move. French tourist Christopher Lemaire said: 'It's a national symbol of China now and I just have to take a look.'

shpeh@sph.com.sg

www.sercan.de

February 9th, 2009, 12:27 PM

Does somebody have interior pics?
Did they reduced the cap to 80k or is it still 91k?

hoosier

February 28th, 2009, 04:35 AM

I don't know why the government feels it needs to recoup the investment on the stadium. Treat it like an infrastructure project that benefits the general welfare and spend the money to maintain it properly.

KingmanIII

February 28th, 2009, 02:25 PM

Bobby3

February 28th, 2009, 08:50 PM

Tokyo's 1964 stadium gets some use too. Verdy use it a lot when the other one (Tokyo Stadium) is being used by FCT (as they have priority).

If I was Verdy, I'd consider a permanent move.

hkskyline

March 21st, 2009, 06:14 AM

By ltownace from a Hong Kong photography forum :

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r283/townace/DSC_2546.jpg

Bobby3

March 21st, 2009, 06:27 PM

Give the soccer team better rent and put them in it.

hkskyline

March 29th, 2009, 04:11 PM

"Going dark" activities light up environmental awareness among Chinese
13:13, March 29, 2009

About 20 Chinese cities joined a worldwide relay on Saturday night to switch off lights of major buildings for one hour to highlight concerns about climate change while calling for actions.

Tens of thousands of Chinese either turned off lights and appliances at home or joined outdoor activities such as candle-lit dinners and star-gazing parties, to show their support.

The iconic "Bird's Nest" National Stadium and the "Water Cube" National Aquatics Center in northern Beijing, usually illuminated by floodlights, went dark completely at 8:30 p.m. local time (1230GMT).

Dozens of glitzy hotels, office buildings, shopping malls and restaurants in the capital also switched some lights off for 60 minutes.

At a hotel next to the "Bird's Nest", more than 100 officials, dignitaries and journalists gathered to witness the symbolic ceremony which unveiled the China leg of Earth Hour, the global campaign organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

"I hope tonight's activity will inspire everyone to make energy saving a daily habit," Chinese actress Li Bingbing, an ambassador of Earth Hour campaign in China, said at the ceremony.

Famed Chinese pianist Lang Lang also appeared in a short video clip on the popular website Youtube.com, appealing his countrymen to "turn off lights" and support climate change action.

In Shanghai, China's financial hub, floodlights to illuminate some 160 buildings, including the world's third tallest TV tower "Oriental Pearl" and the 492-meter-tall World Financial Center, also went down.

Skyscrapers with glowing windows dominating the night skyline are usually considered symbols of affluence and modernization in China. But Saturday night, going dark became trendy.

"I come here just to watch the Oriental Pearl to switch off lights. It's very special tonight because it sends an environmental message to us," citizen Yang Zheying said while standing under the tower.

In many Shanghai outlets of international fast food chain KFC, people enjoyed candle-lit dinners after the restaurants dimmed lights.

KFC said in a statement earlier that more than 1,300 outlets in29 Chinese cities would participate the Earth Hour activities.

Initiated in Australia in 2007, Earth Hour is a time zone-by-time zone plan in which people around the world are encouraged to switch off their lights for 60 minutes on the last Saturday night of March to show their concern about global warming and climate change.

About 3,000 cities in more than 80 countries and regions will join this year's campaign, compared with 35 countries last year, according to the organization.

WWF official Wang Limin said in Shanghai that the campaign aimed to send out more and clearer messages to world leaders before they meet in Copenhagen in December to craft a new global pact on curbing emissions of greenhouse gases.

Fast industrialization and urbanization has made China a major emitter and the government has promised to cut the nation's energy consumption by 20 percent by the year of 2010.

In a videotaped speech last week, the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for a global support of Earth Hour, saying it would be a clear message for action on climate change.

As a response, college and university students in Beijing, Nanjing, Wuhan, Shanghai and Baoding geared up for innovative activities ranging from outdoor lectures, walks, to an unplugged concert.

Some 100 students gathered at the prestigious Peking University in Beijing Saturday night, offering telescopes to passer-bys for them to observe the starry sky.

"Earth Hour should talk about not only climate change, but also the importance of darkness, because light pollution in cities has seriously affect astronomical observation," Liu Boyang, a sophomore majoring in astronomy, told Xinhua.

"I don't expect too many people to heed the call (for turning off lights) tonight. But this should not be only for tonight - we must do energy saving everyday," he said.

Popular website douban.com asked its users to "log off for one hour."

Even a mimic of the Eiffel Tower in an amusement park in south China's Shenzhen City plunged into darkness before the real one in Paris goes dark eight hours later.

"Enthusiasm of the Chinese individuals and governments (to support the campaign) has been overwhelming, though this is the first year for China to hold Earth Hour activities," Dermot O'Gorman, WWF China Country Representative, told Xinhua.

"This will send an important message to the world that people in China are becoming more aware of climate change issues," he said.

But not everyone is so convinced.

Dozens of posts on youdao.com questioned whether Earth Hour was as meaningful as many said, or just a hype.

"Think about carbon emissions caused by holding this activity, "an unidentified post said, while another post questioned whether people living without electricity should get credit because they "literally go dark everyday."

"It is true that Earth Hour is just for one hour each year. One person may be small, but we can make difference if we work collectively to change behaviors," said O'Gorman, who has been working in China for four years.

"People in China become more aware of and more concerned about climate change and environmental issues. Also the country is led by a very strong leadership which is also more aware of the issues," he said.

"This is a very important message to the world," he said.

Source: Xinhua

New York City 20??

March 29th, 2009, 06:41 PM

^^

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Voj7qgik1L8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zOTwY3dZOE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRDMcqAWe8w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6hAuCP7iPQ

Ganis

March 31st, 2009, 07:07 PM

It went dark because no one wants to use it.

igormaverick

April 1st, 2009, 02:15 AM

Gorgeuos stadium!

Mo Rush

April 1st, 2009, 08:51 AM

Keep building your 90,000 seat athletics stadia.

www.sercan.de

April 1st, 2009, 11:38 AM

did they already reduced it to 80k

Jim856796

April 1st, 2009, 12:43 PM

^^They have never reduced the capacity, and I still want them to do so.

hkskyline

April 1st, 2009, 04:35 PM

All Form, No People
Why the architectural icons Beijing built for the Olympic Games stand empty
6 April 2009
Newsweek International
Volume 153, Number 14
6 April 2009

China is a command economy run by engineers, a fact that served the nation well during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Leaders cleaned up pollution in the city prior to the event by shutting down factories and ordering more than half of Beijing’s vehicles off the road. Even better, visitors were wowed by a host of stunning new buildings—including the “Bird’s Nest” National Stadium, the gravity-defying China Central Television (CCTV) headquarters complex and the surrealistic National Performing Arts Center—that NEWSWEEK feted as the most exciting and complete architectural transformation of a city since the 1865-1887 redesign of Paris by Baron Haussmann.

But Haussmann didn’t produce an empty shell. Now Beijing’s new icons are highlighting not so much a national genius for design and construction, but the country’s utter lack of marketing savvy. The Bird’s Nest, CCTV tower and arts center, which together cost more than $1.5 billion to build, have become commercial disasters, suffering from money and image problems thanks to a calamitous fire and a lack of forward planning on how to generate cash post-Games. Unlike cities such as Sydney, which used Olympic structures and publicity to create a longer-term flow of tourists and business traffic, Chinese leaders adopted a “build it and they will come” attitude, not giving much thought to exactly which folks might come to see what events after the Games. “As always in China, the software lags behind the hardware,” says Beijing-based consultant James MacGregor, author of “One Billion Customers.”

Consider the National Stadium, which alone took $450 million to build, and now requires $15 million in yearly maintenance. Yet the only steady revenue is from tourists who pay $9 a pop to take happy snaps of an empty bowl. The number of tourists visiting the stadium has declined from 80,000 daily in October to just 10,000 last week. At this rate, it’s impossible for Beijing authorities to meet their eventual target of $30 million in annual revenue at the Nest.

Originally, there had been talk of making the stadium home to Beijing’s football franchise. But leaders decided that because the team is less than stellar, it might “hurt the feelings of the Chinese people” to house it there. Unfortunately, the ideas being floated now seem even more humiliating—plans are afoot to build a theme park next to the stadium, and possibly even turn it into what managers call a “tourist products venue” (they deny rumors that this means a shopping mall).

Still, such headaches are nothing compared with the Feb. 9 calamity at the yet-unopened CCTV headquarters (construction price tag: more than $731 million). Illegal fireworks set off near the tower ignited an inferno that killed one firefighter and destroyed a 158-meter-high building in which a Mandarin Oriental hotel was due to open in May. To celebrate the Lantern Festival, CCTV’s construction boss had ordered up heavy-duty pyrotechnics of the sort used during the Olympic opening ceremonies—but he didn’t bother getting the required permit. Recently the Chinese media announced the formal arrests of a dozen people for violating controls on handling dangerous goods. The tower itself, which Beijing residents call “the giant underpants” because it resembles upright long johns, remains standing—and empty, as CCTV ponders what to do with the gutted hulk beside it.

The futuristic titanium-and-glass-domed National Center for the Performing Arts, designed by French architect Paul Andreu and nicknamed the “Duck’s Egg,” also languishes, having failed to attract many world-class performances. Meanwhile, routine upkeep requires a “huge amount of money,” admits a spokesperson; in fact, the building recently closed for a month of maintenance. Prospects for recouping the center’s $400 million building costs are slim.

The worry now is that Shanghai is about to repeat the folly of Beijing. The city is preparing to host the 2010 World Expo (formerly known as the World’s Fair) designed to highlight global progress in business, culture and technology. Officials have great expectations, estimating the extravaganza will be the biggest in the event’s 158-year history, drawing 70 million visitors over a six-month period. But the U.S. has yet to commit in writing to attend the event, due largely to a U.S. law requiring that the planned $61 million American pavilion be built entirely with private funds, which have dried up as a result of the global financial crisis. Shanghai authorities blithely assumed Washington would pressure U.S. businesses to foot the bill (after all, that’s what would happen if it were China’s pavilion). But that’s not happening, and now America may pull a no-show, something municipal authorities privately say would be an unforgettable snub.

Instead of accepting financial reality or working harder to sell the event, Chinese officials have resorted to strong-arming U.S. firms to try to get them to cough up. Not long ago one of the expo’s organizers, Hong Hao, told a U.S. business group that “American companies that help will be remembered.” “And those that don’t will sleep with the fishes,” quips Briton Paul French, a Shanghai-based business consultant.

Even so, French says, the show must go on—and he predicts that it will, even if Shanghai has to “help” some participants over their cash-flow difficulties in order to get all the pavilions built. The problem is, by the time the expo kicks off in May 2010, Shanghai is slated to spend at least $4.2 billion for infrastructure and operations; most overseas participants will have dropped tens of millions more. Yet the national pavilions are required by law to be dismantled once the six-month event is finished.

Recently expo organizers have suggested less wasteful options, such as relocating the biggest expo buildings to nearby Dongtan. Once hailed as China’s showcase low-carbon city, Dongtan was supposed to have 50,000 green homes finished in time for the expo. That project stalled after its godfather, a former Shanghai party secretary, was jailed for corruption. Not a single green home was built. Dongtan, laid out without a viable plan for environmental protection or marketing, was an “ecofraud,” as French puts it. That it stands empty makes Dongtan an appropriate home for Shanghai’s expo leftovers. But if China is serious about creating cities that rival Paris, it has to learn how to fill its gorgeous new buildings.

Ganis

April 1st, 2009, 09:36 PM

hkskyline

April 9th, 2009, 04:45 PM

Jackie Chan to hold concert Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium amid questions about venue's future
1 April 2009

HONG KONG (AP) - Movie icon Jackie Chan and other stars will perform at the massive Bird's Nest stadium in the Chinese capital, organizers said Wednesday, amid questions about the venue's future after its centerpiece role in the Beijing Olympics.

The concert, called "Descendants of the dragon: Jackie Chan and friends" in Chinese, will take place during China's three-day May Day holiday starting on May 1, organizers said in a statement.

Chan's main forte is his unique brand of action comedy, but he has also dabbled in singing and sang with other stars at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics.

He said at a press conference Wednesday he isn't nervous about singing at the concert.

"I only feel the pressure when I make films. I believe the audiences will forgive me if I forget the lyrics or I can't keep the tempo," Chan said, adding that the concert won't be a lavish production like the Olympic ceremonies.

Solon So, chief executive of JC Group, which oversees all of Chan's business interests, told The Associated Press in a phone interview the 54-year-old action star and his fellow performers will stage one show on one of the three days, but the exact date hasn't been confirmed.

So said ticket prices had not been decided and declined to say which other stars would perform with Chan.

But Chan said he expected his friends, singer-songwriters Jonathan Lee and Emil Chau, to perform, and that his son, actor and singer Jaycee, also wanted to be part of the show.

The $450 million, 91,000-seat stadium, which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and track and field events of the Beijing Olympics, has not been used since the games ended in late August. Paint is peeling in some areas, and the only visitors these days are tourists who pay 50 yuan (about $7) to walk on the stadium floor and browse a pricey souvenir shop.

The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported in January that area around the stadium would be turned into a shopping and entertainment complex in three to five years.

A symbol of China's rising power and confidence, the stadium, whose nickname described its lattice of exterior steel beams, may never recoup its hefty construction cost, particularly amid a global economic slump. Maintenance of the structure alone costs 60 million yuan (about $8.8 million) annually, making it difficult to turn a profit, Xinhua said.

Athinaios

April 9th, 2009, 08:17 PM

Does anybody know what's the capacity of the 1st and 2nd tier?

hoosier

April 10th, 2009, 08:24 AM

USSR collapsed doe to military build up, Chinas commy government will collapse for building to many un needed buildings.

This is truly sad, now everyone is seeing why you build Temporary stadiums that are downsized after the games because that is cost efficient.

In any other country, a stadium like this would have regular tenants. I can't imagine another city of similar size with a single outdoor football stadium having trouble filling it up.

Trust me, China's economy won't fail because of too many unneeded buildings. All of the big towers have been built with private funds and are privately owned.

The stadium costs pale in comparison to the money that was spent on improving and upgrading infrastructure - which will have a lasting and beneficial impact on Beijing and China.

city_thing

April 10th, 2009, 10:15 AM

It went dark because no one wants to use it.

LOL.

foxmulder_ms

April 11th, 2009, 01:52 AM

miguelon

April 19th, 2009, 09:21 AM

Bobby3

April 19th, 2009, 10:40 AM

In any other country, a stadium like this would have regular tenants. I can't imagine another city of similar size with a single outdoor football stadium having trouble filling it up.

Trust me, China's economy won't fail because of too many unneeded buildings. All of the big towers have been built with private funds and are privately owned.

The stadium costs pale in comparison to the money that was spent on improving and upgrading infrastructure - which will have a lasting and beneficial impact on Beijing and China.

I know Seville is teeny-tiny compared to Beijing, but they can't fill their stadium for the life of them. Same reason as Beijing, the teams are content where they are.

In addition to Guoan, Beijing has three other clubs in the top three leagues: Hongdeng and BIT (Jai League), and Baxy (Yi League). There's also Beijing Bus but that isn't going to happen. Hongdeng play at a 20,000 seater and that's too big, BIT (Beijing Inst. of Tech.) play at the school where there's a 1,500 seat stadium, and tiny Baxy play at a community sports center. A bit off topic, but the Italian club Vicenza owns part of Baxy for those interested in Italian teams.

Jim856796

April 20th, 2009, 12:00 AM

UD2

April 20th, 2009, 12:19 AM

Bobby3

April 20th, 2009, 07:18 AM

China owns a large portion of the US economy, if China collapses the US collapses and vice versa.

Ganis

April 20th, 2009, 05:46 PM

This is not Americas first recession.

Jim856796

April 21st, 2009, 10:28 AM

^^You're damn right. Remember the Great Depression that lasted throughout the 1930s?

GEwinnen

April 21st, 2009, 09:14 PM

The performance of the Turandot opera in this stadium is the first evidence of an opera being performed in a stadium. I haven't seen an opera being performed at any other stadiums. In other news, the stadium is also scheduled to host the 2009 Race of Champions.

:ohno: perhaps in China.....

Aida:
http://www.arena-auf-schalke.de/media/veranstalter_konzerte_aida.jpg

Turandot:

http://www.arena-auf-schalke.de/media/news_050711_turandot_1.jpg

Jim856796

April 23rd, 2009, 11:50 AM

^^That apparently looks like the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

foxmulder_ms

April 24th, 2009, 05:24 AM

China tourists twig to Beijing's Bird's Nest
By Phyllis Xu and Mark Chisholm Phyllis Xu And Mark Chisholm
Wed Apr 22, 2:25 am ET

BEIJING (Reuters Life!) – For years, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall have been among the biggest tourist attractions in China. These days, the Bird's Nest is giving them a run for their money.

Nine months after the Beijing Summer Olympics, thousands of tourists from all over the country flock to the iconic stadium, venue of the dazzling Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, every day.

They pay the 50 yuan ($7) entrance fee to sit in the stands, get their picture taken on the central green and watch nothing.

"We didn't expect the Bird's Nest to become so popular among the Chinese people after the Olympic Games," Zhang Hengli, deputy general manager of the CITIC Consortium Stadium Operation Company, told Reuters.

"The large number of tourists is out of our expectation. Even though the weather has not been very good lately, and it is not holiday season, we still see between 20,000 and 30,000 tourists every day," said Zhang.

The landmark Bird's Nest National Stadium, cloaked in a mangle of steel girders giving it its name, has been rarely used after the Games, and with a price tag of over $500 million, many fear it could become the mother of all white elephants.

But Zhang said that despite the tough economy, revenue from entrance fees could cover the 70 million yuan maintenance costs a year and annual interest payments of up to 90 million yuan.

The Bird's Nest, which can now host 80,000 people, has become a showpiece of China's growing power and wealth, and the success of the Olympics has turned the structure into a source of national pride.

"I just feel our country is so great. It has built such a spectacular stadium. If there was no reform or opening up, or if we were still living in old China, we wouldn't have been able to achieve this," said 77-year-old Gou Daoguang, who travelled all the way from northeast China just to see the stadium.

Some visitors dress up in the Chinese national team's jumpsuits, don fake medals and hold a replica of the Olympic torch and have their photographs taken by professionals.

The tourists have helped take some of the pressure off the stadium's management to find a role for the structure.

In March, officials said they were planning to put on two shows a day -- one with a sporting theme -- to attract more visitors.

A performance of the opera Turandot is planned for the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Olympics on August 8 and permission is being sought for another large concert next month.

But so far, rows of empty seats are just fine for the crowds.

"I am so happy, because I have never been to an Olympic venue before," said 11-year-old Guo Remiao, who came with his classmates from central Hebei province. "It is so big and amazing."

($1=6.825 Yuan)

(Editing by Miral Fahmy)

Copyright © 2009 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.

So,the stadium makes around 50milion$/year just from tourists.

hkskyline

May 9th, 2009, 06:51 AM

'Bird's Nest' investor expects to recoup outlay within 5 years
9 May 2009
South China Morning Post

One of the investors in the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium will have recouped its outlay in about five years, with the venue already taking in 210 million yuan (HK$239 million), a senior manager said.

But Zhang Hengli , deputy general manager of the National Stadium Company that manages the site, said the time was not ripe yet to sell the title rights.

By last month, more than 3.5 million people had visited the stadium since it was opened to the public in October, with each ticket costing 50 yuan.

"This is really much better than what we had expected. We didn't expect so many people would be interested in coming here," he said. "If this is maintained, we can recoup our investment in three to five years."

Built with a price tag of 3.5 billion yuan, the latticed-steel structure is the result of a public-private ownership between the government and a consortium led by Citic Group.

The consortium which set up National Stadium Company owns a 42 per cent share of the "Bird's Nest" and has the rights to run it for 30 years. Mr Zhang was referring to the consortium's share of the project. He said the company spent 70 million yuan a year on human resources and maintenance, and 80 million yuan on financial costs. To keep visitor numbers up, Mr Zhang said sports performances would be staged each day.

A variety show imitating the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony is also in the pipeline to entice those who missed the show. "We can't reproduce the opening ceremony because its copyright belongs to the International Olympic Committee," Mr Zhang said.

While some had expected that issuing title rights of the stadium could bring in large amounts of revenue, Mr Zhang said the company would wait until the number of visitors increased further before selling.

He refused to reveal the names of the companies that had vied for title rights, only saying there were American firms.

The Wall Street Journal reported last year that six multinational firms had competed for rights.

Nearby, the "Water Cube" National Aquatics Centre, which hosted swimming competitions in last year's Games, had also reaped about 80 million yuan of income from 2.66 million visitors in the first seven months of opening, Zhao Zhixiong , general manager of the Water Cube Company, said.

Authorities have been criticised for taking advantage of national pride to rake in profits with overpriced entrance fees.

hkskyline

May 9th, 2009, 06:58 PM

BIRD'S NEST HOLDS 1ST POST-GAMES SHOW
2 May 2009
China Daily

It was like another Olympics had come home to roost at the Bird's Nest.

Passion returned to the $500-million steel-twigged Beijing Olympic showpiece Friday night, as the stadium hosted the Jackie Chan and His Friends Concert in front of a 50,000-strong audience. It was the first major public event since the Games ended more than eight months ago.

"The Bird's Nest is a legend, so is Jackie Chan. You don't see this stardom combination often," said Xue Dong, a 40-year-old visitor from Panjin, Liaoning province, who was wearing the white cap of a tour group that arrived in Beijing on Friday morning

The architectural wonder experienced the stunning Olympic opening ceremony, record-breaking sprinter Usain Bolt and a jaw-breaking withdrawal of hurdler Liu Xiang. But hours before its first major post-Olympic event, it still saw Chinese families, couples and foreigners, among thousands of other tourists, refreshing their memories of the Olympics.

Vendors were selling replicated "jade in gold" Olympic medals and Olympic venue crests at 10 yuan ($1.5) per piece in front of the giant structure.

"The Bird's Nest has become a new Great Wall, a new Forbidden City for Beijing and China," said Zhang Hengli, the brains behind a Beijing-based company which runs the 80,000-seat structure - which is big enough to become a literal "white elephant" if not properly maintained.

Its size has always been the beauty and shortcoming of the stadium.

The stadium consistently attracts 20,000 to 30,000 visitors per day, and a lot more on public holidays. But it also costs 70 million yuan yearly to maintain, not to mention the 90 million yuan in annual interest payments.

"To nest profits for it, we must commercialize," Zhang told China Daily, adding that he was not worried about the stadium's future with further sponsorship still underway.

Media have speculated that Olympic sponsors Coca-Cola and Adidas are both interested in the bid.

The stadium is set to host a joint concert next month by Placido Domingo and two of China's most popular artists.

Also, promoters of a stadium-sized Turandot by Olympic ceremony director Zhang Yimou and Italian Cup organizers who want to play their final in the Bird's Nest, are both fighting for a spot on the one-year anniversary of the Beijing Olympics, which falls on Aug 8.

All of the 37 Olympic venues have opened to the public, some for commercial purpose. Next to the Bird's Nest, the National Indoor Stadium earlier staged music diva Sarah Brightman and piano sensation Lang Lang.

The Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park in the suburbs of Beijing opened to the public for 20 yuan per head. Venue director Gao Jiadong said the park will first attract the public before becoming a commercial water theme park.

Visitors seemed confident about the fate of the venues.

"The Eiffel Tower was considered a useless steel tower when it came out one century ago, but now it is world famous," said Koenig Eugene, a visitor from Strasbourg, France, before entering the Bird's Nest on Friday with his relatives in Beijing.

"It's the same case. This piece here will become another wonder for the next 200 years," said tourist Woehl Hubert.

hkskyline

May 10th, 2009, 06:05 AM

Source : http://www.pbase.com/daniel_allen/birds_nest

http://www.pbase.com/daniel_allen/image/93746696.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/daniel_allen/image/93746700.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/daniel_allen/image/93746708.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/daniel_allen/image/93746702.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/daniel_allen/image/94549426.jpg

hoosier

May 10th, 2009, 08:15 AM

^^The stadium grounds loom pretty dilapidated in those pictures. Were they taken before the Olympics?

sumo^san

May 10th, 2009, 06:04 PM

^^The stadium grounds loom pretty dilapidated in those pictures. Were they taken before the Olympics?

I think they were taken prior to the Olympics, judging from those cranes...

Pher

May 10th, 2009, 06:14 PM

I heard that the only one big event on this stadium after Olympics is Jackie Chan's concert. Is that true? If so, the stadium's under self-destroying process :ohno:

hkskyline

May 10th, 2009, 06:59 PM

I heard that the only one big event on this stadium after Olympics is Jackie Chan's concert. Is that true? If so, the stadium's under self-destroying process :ohno:

The concert was the first big event, but they are open to the public for tours, which is quite a huge cash cow at 50 yuan a piece - more $$$ than the Forbidden City!

New York City 20??

May 10th, 2009, 07:27 PM

^^The stadium grounds loom pretty dilapidated in those pictures. Were they taken before the Olympics?

Yes, they were taken before. The area has been busy with tourists since the Games ended last year. Some the Olympic signage and decorations haven't even been taken down yet, if ever.

Pher

May 10th, 2009, 08:05 PM

hkskyline, you've a beautiful big stadium, but the stadium which isn't used ruins itself, and tours helps Beijing stadium only with earning a money to hold itself, and goverment has no money for it. It is sad, that this stadium isn't useful. To show what I mean I will give you an example:

Stadion X-lecia was built in '50s and had 100.000 capacity. It wasn't very useful, mainly for the communistic government to organise some shows ;)
http://img119.imageshack.us/img119/6383/stadionyd7.jpg

Years after, the stadium turned into a ruine, because of the lack of events. In 90's after we became a capitalistic country, Stadion X-lecia became a huge bazaar. The biggest bazaar in Europe. You could meet there shoppers from all around the world. Since then, stadium was called - Jarmark Europa.
http://arbiter.pl/files/g/2_8055_DSC04565_.jpg
http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3081/0098rekh4.jpg

In 2007 Poland and Ukraine were chosen to organise European Football Championships - Euro 2012, Jarmark Europa was closed and Stadion X-lecia was demolished, because in this place in two years - in 2011 will be buit a Polish National Stadium - with 55.000 capacity, one of the most modern in the world.
http://www.dziennik.pl/files/archive/00025/wizualizacja2_25866l.jpg

And here is the topic: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=559608

But what I mean. Stadium X- lecia, that one built in '50s turned into a ruine because of lack of events, and then nobody knows what to do with an ugly bazaar in the centre of modern city like Warsaw. I wish the Beijing stadium wouldn't be like X-lecia.

Ganis

May 11th, 2009, 02:42 AM

The concert was the first big event, but they are open to the public for tours, which is quite a huge cash cow at 50 yuan a piece - more $$$ than the Forbidden City!

50 yuan a person is going to pay for a multi million dollar up keep? NO

Pher

May 11th, 2009, 06:37 AM

^^ exactly, Ganis. The stadium needs events. Because the money from the tickets is the most important.

Mo Rush

May 11th, 2009, 07:18 AM

hkskyline

May 11th, 2009, 06:52 PM

50 yuan a person is going to pay for a multi million dollar up keep? NO
I posted this article already earlier - relevant sections in bold. They've taken in over USD 20 million since October :

'Bird's Nest' investor expects to recoup outlay within 5 years
9 May 2009
South China Morning Post

One of the investors in the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium will have recouped its outlay in about five years, with the venue already taking in 210 million yuan (HK$239 million), a senior manager said.

But Zhang Hengli , deputy general manager of the National Stadium Company that manages the site, said the time was not ripe yet to sell the title rights.

By last month, more than 3.5 million people had visited the stadium since it was opened to the public in October, with each ticket costing 50 yuan.

"This is really much better than what we had expected. We didn't expect so many people would be interested in coming here," he said. "If this is maintained, we can recoup our investment in three to five years."

Built with a price tag of 3.5 billion yuan, the latticed-steel structure is the result of a public-private ownership between the government and a consortium led by Citic Group.

The consortium which set up National Stadium Company owns a 42 per cent share of the "Bird's Nest" and has the rights to run it for 30 years. Mr Zhang was referring to the consortium's share of the project. He said the company spent 70 million yuan a year on human resources and maintenance, and 80 million yuan on financial costs. To keep visitor numbers up, Mr Zhang said sports performances would be staged each day.

A variety show imitating the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony is also in the pipeline to entice those who missed the show. "We can't reproduce the opening ceremony because its copyright belongs to the International Olympic Committee," Mr Zhang said.

While some had expected that issuing title rights of the stadium could bring in large amounts of revenue, Mr Zhang said the company would wait until the number of visitors increased further before selling.

He refused to reveal the names of the companies that had vied for title rights, only saying there were American firms.

The Wall Street Journal reported last year that six multinational firms had competed for rights.

Nearby, the "Water Cube" National Aquatics Centre, which hosted swimming competitions in last year's Games, had also reaped about 80 million yuan of income from 2.66 million visitors in the first seven months of opening, Zhao Zhixiong , general manager of the Water Cube Company, said.

Authorities have been criticised for taking advantage of national pride to rake in profits with overpriced entrance fees.

Ganis

May 11th, 2009, 08:00 PM

Believe everything you read from a communist media source?

A stadium can not survive on people paying for a tour of it alone.

GunnerJacket

May 11th, 2009, 08:35 PM

"It's the same case. This piece here will become another wonder for the next 200 years," said tourist Woehl Hubert.I'll take that bet. The wonder will fade before it falls apart, especially after the costs for maintenance grow egregious. Whatever hope lay ahead was severely damaged by the global economic downturn, and I fear this behemoth could only prosper at the expense of other capital investment.

hkskyline

May 12th, 2009, 11:41 AM

Believe everything you read from a communist media source?

A stadium can not survive on people paying for a tour of it alone.

SCMP is actually not based in China. The fact is there are a lot of visitors, which is completely reasonable as I did visit this place and saw the crowds, and the fact the Olympics was a big item for China, and its legacy remains. You don't need the free or communist media to tell you that.

I highly doubt CNN or the BBC tells you the whole picture either. I'd be appalled if anyone thinks so - perhaps it's the veil of the free media hypocrisy.

Revenues of 20 million USD in less than a year are quite significant. How much do you need to maintain a stadium anyway? 500 million a year?

deepblue01

May 12th, 2009, 01:26 PM

^^^^Yeah, you are right. The media is there as a guide only, to tell you what is happening. The truth is what you think from reading or hearing from the media. No media tells the truth, it would be nieve to think that there is a country where the media is 100% truthful and unbiased. I would think that there will be a strong crowd coming to see the birds nest for a few more years as there will be significant events like the world expo and the asian games being held in china next year and there might be other activities which might attract tourists to Beijing as well. I do hope that more singers hold concerts there in future though and have it recorded and released, because its one of the best stadiums in the world and its a visual trademark.

hkskyline

May 12th, 2009, 06:56 PM

And out of all that everyone missed the point that maintenance per year is less than 20 million USD, an amount which was already taken in in less than half a year of opening up to tourists.

So much for the 'white elephant' theory. As to whether concerts and sports events need to line up now to make the stadium viable, the resounding answer is no for another few years.

staff

May 12th, 2009, 06:59 PM

Good posts, hkskyline.

A good rule of thumb when the likes of BBC and CNN are even touching subjects related to Asia - China in particular - is to not believe a single word.

Even though this bullshit already has been corrected by hkskyline, these kind of posts are a hilarious display of ignorance as well.
Believe everything you read from a communist media source?

New York City 20??

May 12th, 2009, 11:11 PM

Some pictures from the recent concert:

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr62/TheWestTower/BNCONCERT4.jpg

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr62/TheWestTower/goooo.jpg

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr62/TheWestTower/BNCONCERT5.jpg

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr62/TheWestTower/BNCONCERT3.jpg

http://i470.photobucket.com/albums/rr62/TheWestTower/BNCONCERT2.jpg

Athinaios

May 13th, 2009, 11:28 AM

Great pics. How many tickets were sold? Looks like the stadium was full of people :)

New York City 20??

May 13th, 2009, 09:44 PM

^^50,000. You can see in that last picture that the sections on the top tier closes to the video screen were empty.

Ganis

May 13th, 2009, 09:49 PM

SCMP is actually not based in China. The fact is there are a lot of visitors, which is completely reasonable as I did visit this place and saw the crowds, and the fact the Olympics was a big item for China, and its legacy remains. You don't need the free or communist media to tell you that.

I highly doubt CNN or the BBC tells you the whole picture either. I'd be appalled if anyone thinks so - perhaps it's the veil of the free media hypocrisy.

Revenues of 20 million USD in less than a year are quite significant. How much do you need to maintain a stadium anyway? 500 million a year?

So are they going to keep fixing this place up, polishing the steel, painting the chipped walls and making it look pretty for Stadium tours only? Wow, they really know what they are doing.

foxmulder_ms

May 14th, 2009, 05:43 AM

@Ganis

i wished you could have seen the stadium and how much it makes a day with your own eyes........

hkskyline

May 17th, 2009, 01:30 PM

China eyes regular Olympic show
11 May 2009
Financial Times

Less than a year after China hosted the Olympics, Beijing is planning to put its stunningly choreographed opening ceremony back on as a regular evening show at the "Bird's Nest", the main stadium built for the games.

Zhang Yimou, the film director who once had his works banned in his home country but is now emerging as the ruling Communist party's chief master of ceremonies, set in scene the key cultural achievements of China at the Beijing 2008 opening ceremony. His show included achievements such as the invention of printing and kung fu, using about 15,000 soldiers, armed policeand students.

While the show stunned many with its recordbreaking scale and perfect choreography, some spectators said it raised associations of fascist aesthetics and mass performances put on by North Korea's totalitarian regime.

Zhang Hengli, vicepresident of the National Stadium Company that now runs the Bird's Nest, said: "We want to put on a regular evening show like the opening ceremony. But that will take longer to realise [than other performances in the works for the stadium] because it requires a huge amount of money. We need to find an investor and deal with potential issues of intellectual property of the International Olympic Committee."

The idea comes as un-abated visitor flows have driven the stadium company to abandon original plans for its use following the Olympics and run it instead as a tourist destination only.

Mr Zhang said the company sells 20,000 to 30,000 tickets a day, allowing it to cover Rmb150m ($22m, €16.4m, £14.6m) in annual maintenance and financing costs and even make a profit.

According to travel agents and online polls, the stadium has replaced the Forbidden City as Beijing's top-ranking attraction for Chinese tourists. Families and tour groups filed through the 80,000-seat venue with looks of pride and wonder on Friday.

Although China's population of 1.3bn can go a long way in keeping visitor flows up and current revenue levels would allow the stadium to recoup its initial investment of Rmb3.5bn in 10 years, Mr Zhang said that could not be relied on.

"We want to introduce more attractions to ensure stable visitor flows in the long term," he said.

For political leaders, the purpose of the games had always been twofold: helping the outside world better understand China, which had been opening ever further for 30 years, but also strengthening unity and national feelings within.

A return of the opening ceremony could help. Zhang Gang, a tourist from Henan, said he would come again to see the Zhang Yimou show. "Here, it feels good to be Chinese."

ReiAyanami

May 17th, 2009, 01:46 PM

^^You have a big stadium, you can't use it, eventually they plan to perform mass games regularly, as the stadium's main function, to impress tourists and promote your culture......
I do not object, but I think I am experiencing a big Déjà vu...

Ganis

May 17th, 2009, 09:37 PM

I think its a waste. China over did its self and is now stuck with a white elephant that only Jackie Chan wants to use.

marrio415

May 17th, 2009, 09:54 PM

so tours and opening ceremony shwas is the only way they can get use of it.Bit of a disgrace really don't you think.

Bobby3

May 18th, 2009, 09:07 AM

I think its a waste. China over did its self and is now stuck with a white elephant that only Jackie Chan wants to use.

The Chinese National Stadium has two events for 2009, the Cotton Bowl has two events for 2009.

The Bird's Nest was built in 2008, the Cotton Bowl was refurbished in 2008.

The Bird's Nest's rival for events would be the inferior 64,000 seat Workers Stadium. The Cotton Bowl's is a new, vastly superior, 80-100,000 seat as-of-yet-unnamed stadium.

Beijing hosted the Olympics in 2008.

Beijing Gu'oan (or even Hongdeng, or Baxy) could one day inhabit the Bird's Nest, but at the moment the 32,000-seat OSC suits them. The Cowboys, FC Dallas and SMU have new stadiums.

Who wasted money?

Given Dallas didn't spend as much as Beijing (actually, China), Dallas spent it simply to keep Texas-Oklahoma at that stadium. They wanted to keep a tradition, Beijing wanted to build for tomorrow.

The Cold War is over, and China hasn't been a pure communist state since the death of Mao Zedong, so can you take those blinders off? China has a lot of money to spend, you know why? They got it from us. Americans buy Chinese stuff *all* the time. They own a large portion of America, in fact. Like it or not, China and America are bound as tight as they be. China: A Capitalist's Dream Come True (http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/wealthofnations/archive/2009/05/15/china-a-capitalist-s-dream-come-true.aspx).

Ganis

May 18th, 2009, 10:02 PM

The Chinese National Stadium has two events for 2009, the Cotton Bowl has two events for 2009.

The Bird's Nest was built in 2008, the Cotton Bowl was refurbished in 2008.

The Cotton Bowl will have 3 games this year and all 3 go together with the Texas State Fair at Fair Park that serves more then the stadium can hold X5. This includes Texas v Oklahoma that is the biggest rivalry in football. The Refurb did not cost anywhere near what the Birds Nest cost.

The Bird's Nest's rival for events would be the inferior 64,000 seat Workers Stadium. The Cotton Bowl's is a new, vastly superior, 80-100,000 seat as-of-yet-unnamed stadium.

Its not the Cotton Bowl, your Talking about The Cowboys Stadium in Arlington (thats the official name now) that already has 3 major concerts scheduled, Gold Cup Semi Final game, Mexican team v English premier game, Supper Bowl 45, 8+ pro football games a season, The Cotton Bowl, Arkansas v Texas A&M and Notre Dame v Arizona State.

Beijing hosted the Olympics in 2008.

Athens hosted the 2004 games and their Olympic Stadium gets used on a regular basis.
Sydney Hosted the 2000 games and their Olympic Stadium gets used on a regular basis.
Atlanta Hosted the 1996 games and their Olympic Stadium gets used on a regular basis because it was turned into a baseball stadium where they play 70+ games a year.

Beijing Gu'oan (or even Hongdeng, or Baxy) could one day inhabit the Bird's Nest, but at the moment the 32,000-seat OSC suits them. The Cowboys, FC Dallas and SMU have new stadiums.

And one day i might live forever. the team is not their now, that is all that matters.

Who wasted money?

China

Given Dallas didn't spend as much as Beijing (actually, China), Dallas spent it simply to keep Texas-Oklahoma at that stadium. They wanted to keep a tradition, Beijing wanted to build for tomorrow.

Red River Shoot Out is scheduled through 2015 at the cotton bowl and OU does not want to give up the Neutral in Texas recruiting game and Texas does not want OU to beat them in Austin and OU does not want UT to beat them in Norman. UT v OU is bigger then the Olympics, it draws more money to Dallas in 1 weekend then the Olympics does in 2 weeks. The game will stay there because of Tradition. Texas Tech and OSU are also going to play there.

the stadium has had 4 events. Some pre olympic trials, The Olympics, Par Olympics and Jackie Chan and Friends (really?) where is some asian league team playing some European league team or some NFL game like what Wembely does?

Where is the PR and scheduling committee that is in charge of booking this place?

Its not the stadiums fault, its beautiful. Its the Owners and Marketing staffs fault this sits un-used.

New York City 20??

May 19th, 2009, 12:19 AM

so tours and opening ceremony shwas is the only way they can get use of it.Bit of a disgrace really don't you think.

I think it'd be a disgrace if it could host other events, but they still insisted on it staying a tourist destination.

If events come up, it'll host them. If they don't, but if it really can sustain itself as a hugely iconic tourist destination, then so be it.

ReiAyanami

May 19th, 2009, 12:31 AM

At least the rest of main venues around are used, right?

New York City 20??

May 19th, 2009, 03:13 AM

^Yes, it'd be nice if the status of other new venues was reported. The Bird's Nest wasn't the only thing that was build for the 2008 Games.

foxmulder_ms

May 20th, 2009, 05:00 AM

You guys realized that China won most gold medal in the olympics right? they have a sport culture although it is different from the US one. All this sportsman need somewhere to work right. Of course these venues are used. An if you care enough, you can see that almost all "big" cities in China have a similar complex or building one .... US has same thing right... why you think it is not waste in USA. China has as many sportsman as USA so needs this stuff for quality of people's life

so take home message: i am really glad to see a stadium like this. Even purely as an art object, as a monument it looks great it doesn't need to be functional for me.. although it is not even one. it will earn its investment in 5 years if tourist come like this.

ReiAyanami

May 20th, 2009, 11:28 AM

If Chinese are happy with its function as a showcase and monument to the Olympics, at least for now, what is everyone else problem with that? China doesn't necessarily use, or has the priorities Europe has with their venues. I am sure that Beijing can maintain such a stadium for now, unlike Athens and Sydney that couldn't possible be able to maintain their own if not for a regular use.

My only objection is that Bird's nest can't possibly maintain 5 years of tourists flow. Athens', 5 years later, is a full time football stadium that hosts around 2 matches per week and even with the millions of tourists that come in Athens, relatively few visit it just for the Olympic reminisce (and go in for free, as everywhere else because state sport venues are free to everyone by law). My point is that when the next Olympics arrive, the previous venues loose their appeal, unfortunate but true...

hkskyline

May 30th, 2009, 11:14 AM

By waattt from dchome :

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_090514/20090514_dc5a03a153e588951adbW4nJ82RG0rax.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_090514/20090514_4a91d5765de275ae0758gWeTSlYifaT3.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_090514/20090514_10b7a0fbf30fbd073c32lDtVvHM3QCIm.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_090514/20090514_1c7ef29129db29f7488daLd9uQ1Xh4K9.jpg

thyrdrail

May 30th, 2009, 01:09 PM

the more i look at the bird's nest stadium, the more it looks like a huge eyesore. just a pile of messy, twisted metal.

city_thing

May 30th, 2009, 01:14 PM

New York City 20??

May 30th, 2009, 07:21 PM

There was something on TV here in Australia a few weeks ago about how the Bird's Nest is never used, no one can afford to go there and now it's a white elephant etc. etc.

It's sad that such an amazing building hasn't been put to better use.
That’s a bit of an exaggeration.

This is an account of the situation form someone who recently visited Beijing and its Olympic venues: http://www.gamesbids.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14182 Good insight can be found through out that thread.

Ganis

June 1st, 2009, 02:12 AM

IT IS A WHITE ELEPHANT.

New York City 20??

June 1st, 2009, 03:59 AM

... I was referring to the assertion that no one can afford to go there. The stadium has become a huge icon in China and the crowds of tourists visiting show that. As that link I posted says, the Chinese plan to sign on a corporate partner, renovate part of the stadium into conference, retail, and hotel space, and they expect many events (such as the Italian Super Cup (http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/139/italy/2009/05/20/1276944/italian-super-cup-to-be-played-in-beijing-report)) and concerts to be held at the stadium after August 9 when the stadium will close to public with the exception of holidays and certain weekends.

And all the other Olympic venues, except for the Rowing and Conoe/Kyack center, are reportedly doing fine.

Ganis

June 1st, 2009, 06:11 AM

what good is a stadium as an Icon if no one is using it?

What good is signing a corporate partner if no one plays there and you cant hear the stadiums name on a tv broadcast?

Ha, turn it into a Hotel, what a sad fate for such a new stadium.

Why would the Italian Super Cup be held out side of Italy?

Jim856796

June 1st, 2009, 08:35 AM

Ganis, the hotel was planned to have a hotel and a shopping centre built inside the stadium to try and increase its use (and I am so tired of having to make this statement frequently and no company will go forward with this project). However, the stadium cannot be turned completely into a hotel. The old Workers Stadium and the Guangzhou Olympic Stadium have hotels inside their structures. Also, the Italian Super Cup has been hosted outside Italy before (twice in the United States and once in Libya).

thyrdrail

June 1st, 2009, 10:13 AM

ReiAyanami

June 1st, 2009, 12:39 PM

and what if beijing wants to host the olympics again in the future? it's got to build another new stadium since the bird's nest cant be used anymore because it's been turned into a hotel? what a waste of a stadium!!!

^^Thats pointless. The chances of Beijing hosting Olympics again in the 21st century are close to zero. China probably might host again this century, but probably in a different city.

New York City 20??

June 1st, 2009, 05:03 PM

Shanghai is supposedly planning to bid for a Games around 2028 and 2032. Hong Kong is planning to bid as well. And Harbin may bid as early as next year (for the 2018 Winter Games).

what good is a stadium as an Icon if no one is using it?

What good is signing a corporate partner if no one plays there and you cant hear the stadiums name on a tv broadcast?
Events like the Italian Super Cup, Race of Champions, Manchester United Asian tours, and Puccini "Turandot" Opera are already penciled in for the stadium.
Ha, turn it into a Hotel, what a sad fate for such a new stadium.
SOME of the stadium's concourse is planned to be turned into conference, retail, and hotel space... capitalizing on the place's iconic status.

Why would the Italian Super Cup be held out side of Italy?
Like it's been said, it's not going to be the first time it's been held outside of Italy.

thyrdrail

June 2nd, 2009, 12:06 AM

^^Thats pointless. The chances of Beijing hosting Olympics again in the 21st century are close to zero. China probably might host again this century, but probably in a different city.

^^ what a waste of a stadium. i say keep it as a stadium and use it for other sporting and cultural events. there's tons of other sporting events as well as conventions, concerts, exhibitions, etc.

Ganis

June 2nd, 2009, 01:41 AM

why does Italy play is championship out side of Italy? That is stupid in my opinion.

New York City 20??

June 2nd, 2009, 04:30 AM

what a waste of a stadium. i say keep it as a stadium and use it for other sporting and cultural events.

SOME of the concourse may be / will be renovated. The Bird's Nest will always remain a stadium.

pompeyfan

June 2nd, 2009, 11:21 AM

why does Italy play is championship out side of Italy? That is stupid in my opinion.

To promote the game in another country. It's just another pre-season friendly for them, kinda like the NFL playing a game in London.

Ganis

June 3rd, 2009, 05:25 AM

....But the NFL does not play the Super Bowl out side of the USA.

pompeyfan

June 3rd, 2009, 05:35 AM

The super cup is not the equivalent of the super bowl, it's a playoff between the league (serie a) winners, and the cup (coppa italia) winners from the past season. It's like a warmup for the fans.

hkskyline

June 3rd, 2009, 06:19 PM

Source : http://www.pbase.com/romy_uk/birds_nest

http://www.pbase.com/romy_uk/image/113088473.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/romy_uk/image/113088417.jpg

Athinaios

June 4th, 2009, 09:11 PM

Does the cauldron still stands on roof? Or has been moved?

New York City 20??

June 5th, 2009, 01:18 AM

Does the cauldron still stands on roof? Or has been moved?
It's still on the roof, but it's on its side:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3646/3562366118_00f1d1003b_b_d.jpg

This is the same way it was hidden in an inflatable hanger last summer before the Games.

Ganis

June 5th, 2009, 04:19 AM

its like that stadium has been forgotten about.... sad. :(

New York City 20??

June 6th, 2009, 03:11 AM

its like that stadium has been forgotten about.... sad. :(

Why?

Because the cauldron is on its side? It's probably like that because they plan to take it down and display it elsewhere in Beijing's Olympic Green. Like most former Olympic cauldrons, it will probably be relit during the 1-year anniversary, during the torch relay of other sporting events, etc.

KingmanIII

June 6th, 2009, 08:43 PM

Why?

Because the cauldron is on its side? It's probably like that because they plan to take it down and display it elsewhere in Beijing's Olympic Green. Like most former Olympic cauldrons, it will probably be relit during the 1-year anniversary, during the torch relay of other sporting events, etc.

Not so much the cauldron, but how they've been kinda struggling to find tenants to occupy the place. It's one of the reason I'm one of the few people who actually like Atlanta's Turner Field and support London's plan to build a stadium whose capacity will be largely reduced after the 2012 games.

New York City 20??

June 6th, 2009, 08:57 PM

Not so much the cauldron, but how they've been kinda struggling to find tenants to occupy the place. It's one of the reason I'm one of the few people who actually like Atlanta's Turner Field and support London's plan to build a stadium whose capacity will be largely reduced after the 2012 games.

Well trying to find the place usage is not a sign of them forgetting about it. I mean the place is incredibly popular with people - Beijing bus tours to the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China stop at the Olympic Green just to visit this stadium. The Chinese realize this and are planning to capitalize on it.

It's true, the situation is not perfectly ideal (and it's the Chinese's fault that it isn't), but the Bird's Nest isn't falling apart under dilapidated ghost town status like many people seem to think so either.

Ganis

June 6th, 2009, 09:04 PM

stadiums cant survive on bus tours. They need to be used.

New York City 20??

June 6th, 2009, 10:43 PM

Well duh.

Read the previous page of this thread.

Ganis

June 7th, 2009, 11:09 AM

im just stating the fact. Stadium tours are being brought up allot like the people saying it think that that will solve all of this stadiums problems.

hkskyline

June 7th, 2009, 04:19 PM

I don't think the long-term solution is to continue stadium tours. Don't think anyone is trying to argue that. While they figure out how to fill the stadium with other uses, the stadium tour revenues are ample to fill the maintenance budget.

NMAISTER007

June 8th, 2009, 02:33 PM

This is a very beautiful stadium :)

NMAISTER007

June 8th, 2009, 02:41 PM

BergenScooterPatrol

June 8th, 2009, 03:10 PM

IMHO, stadiums are meant to be played at, be it an athletic endeavor or a music performance. if it will be just a backdrop on some tourist's digital pictures, then it's being misused. thus losing its indentity and its legacy.

hkskyline

June 9th, 2009, 04:59 PM

Soccer-Beijing's Bird's Nest to host Italian Super Cup

MILAN, June 9 (Reuters) - The Italian Super Cup will be played at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium on August 8, the Italian League said on Tuesday.

Officials had already announced the match between league champions Inter Milan and Italian Cup winners Lazio would be held in the Chinese capital but it has now been decided to use the Olympic Stadium after weeks of uncertainty.

The pre-season curtain raiser will kick off at 8 p.m. Chinese time, eight minutes short of a year since the Olympic Opening Ceremony started in the distinctive stadium.

"The date and time assume an important significance which has been recognised by the Italian league and Italian football," a statement said.

Italian soccer chiefs are playing the game abroad in a bid to increase global interest in Serie A, which has suffered in comparison with the English and Spanish leagues in recent years.

The sale of AC Milan's Kaka to Real Madrid on Monday was another blow to the status of the Italian league.

The Super Cup was due to be played in the United States last year but the plan fell through. It has previously been hosted in the U.S. and Libya.

Ozric

June 11th, 2009, 02:11 PM

From: http://www.raceofchampions.com/media/press-releases/92/

- The Race of Champions 2009 to become first international sports event to take place in China’s national stadium since 2008 Olympic Games

- Event date moved to early November, immediately after Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The Race of Champions - the ultimate end-of-season motorsport battle – will become the first international sports event to be staged at China’s national stadium since the 2008 Summer Olympics when it takes place on November 3-4, 2009.

The “Bird’s Nest” stadium will host the event, which moves from Wembley after a two-year run at England’s national stadium and three years at the Stade de France in Paris. The 2009 event, which will start just two days after the Formula 1 season reaches its climax in Abu Dhabi, will move from a weekend to a midweek event for the first time.

The event will be staged over two days, with the ROC Nations Cup on Tuesday, November 3 and The Race of Champions on Wednesday, November 4, to offer spectators a more extensive exhibitions line-up, plus the possibility of more competitors and teams than ever before.

Speaking about the move, Fredrik Johnsson, President of Event Organisers IMP, enthused, “we received exciting proposals from five world-class stadia, but after the incredible Olympics last year, Beijing’s candidacy was difficult to ignore. The Bird’s Nest venue is awesome and having spent the last five years at two of Europe’s biggest stadiums, we were thrilled about the opportunity to take The Race of Champions to Asia for the first time, to another of the world’s most iconic sporting arenas.”

Mr Li Jianyi, General Manager of Great Gate, managing company of the Bird's Nest, said of the agreement: “Following last year’s Olympics, we now possess one of the world’s best sporting stadia and will continue to stage elite international sporting competition in Beijing. We are very excited about The Race of Champions coming. The stadium has already hosted the world’s fastest athletes; now it will host the world’s fastest racers.”

"We would like to thank the Beijing Sports Bureau, the Federation of
Automobile Sport in China, Great Gate and Sportsunite for making it possible
for The Race of Champions to become the first major international sporting
event in The Bird's Nest after the Olympic Games."

"I would also like to say thank you to Wembley for the past two years,”
Johnsson continued. “The people there were great to work with and helped us
put on two fantastic events. This year will be the Race of Champions’ first
year outside of Europe, but we will definitely be back soon.”

Last year’s Race of Champions attracted the most successful ever drivers from Formula 1 (Michael Schumacher), World Rallying (Sebastien Loeb), the Le Mans 24 Hours (Tom Kristensen), and World Touring Cars (Andy Priaulx), as well as F1 race winners Jenson Button, David Coulthard and Sebastian Vettel, plus Triple World Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss. Others to have competed in the past include Valentino Rossi, Fernando Alonso and Colin McRae.

Modern World

June 14th, 2009, 10:51 AM

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Birds_Nest_at_Night.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Beijing_National_Stadium_1.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/Birdsnest1.jpg/800px-Birdsnest1.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Beijing_National_Stadium_Interior.jpg/800px-Beijing_National_Stadium_Interior.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Beijing_National_Stadium_Interior_1.jpg/800px-Beijing_National_Stadium_Interior_1.jpg

Modern World

June 14th, 2009, 12:08 PM

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/2008_Summer_Olympics_Opening_Ceremony_2.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/2008_Summer_Olympics_opening_ceremony.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/BeijingOlimpicGames2008-08-08.jpg/800px-BeijingOlimpicGames2008-08-08.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Fireworks_Opening_Ceremony.jpg/800px-Fireworks_Opening_Ceremony.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/2008_Summer_Olympics_opening_ceremony_-_Fireworks_2.jpg

[IMG]http://http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Birdsclosing.jpg/800px-Birdsclosing.jpg

Ganis

June 15th, 2009, 05:35 AM

Im glad we can still see picks from last summer! Way to think in the past!

Richo83

June 15th, 2009, 06:11 AM

why does Italy play is championship out side of Italy? That is stupid in my opinion.

It doesn't, it's cup competition final was in Rome and it's league doesn't have a final. This is as much as important as those matches the NFL plays overseas (i.e. they aren't).

Ganis

June 15th, 2009, 10:24 PM

we play 1 regular season NFL game over seas. And that game is important.

New York City 20??

June 26th, 2009, 05:13 AM

Olympic landmarks hosting games and more

By Chen Jie (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-06-25 08:01

Fears that the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube would turn into white elephants, sucking in millions for maintenance, have faded after stakeholders lined up an array of events and attractions to keep the iconic venues alive and active.

Sandwiched between Jackie Chan's gig on May 1 and Zhang Yimou's arena production of the opera Turandot in October, Chinese soprano Song Zuying and pop star Jay Chou will join hands with star pianist Lang Lang and great tenor Placido Domingo on June 30 for Charm of China - Bird's Nest Summer Concert.

A brand-new production of Swan Lake debuts next door at the Water Cube on Friday. And in the next two months, ballerinas and synchronized swimmers from Russia and France will perform a show specially produced for the venue.

A series of water concerts have been staged since last October and Beijing Children's Art Theatre performed its latest production, Legend of Beijing, during the Children's Day holiday.

The post-Olympic use of Beijing's venues was a hot debate even before the Games started last August. The Bird's Nest cost about 3.5 billion yuan ($425 million) and the annual operation and maintenance bill is estimated to be more than 170 million yuan.

Turning the stadium into a commercially successful venue for major sports events, high-profile performances and other long-term needs of the community was seen as a challenge.

Naming rights or a lucrative corporate sponsorship would have been easy options. Insiders revealed that Adidas had offered 70 million yuan for naming the stadium after the sports goods giant, but Yang Weiying, deputy general manager of Beijing CITIC Consortium Stadium Operation Co Ltd, which has a 42-percent stake in the venue and management rights for 30 years, said: "We are not going to sell the right to name the Bird's Nest now.

"The Bird's Nest is a symbol of national pride. It showcased Chinese people's dreams and achievements during the Olympic Games.

"People may feel uncomfortable seeing a company label attached to the venue."

There have also been reports that Beijing Guo'an soccer club could move to the Bird's Nest to play home games because CITIC Group sponsors the club.

But Yang said it was a "mission impossible" for a Chinese Super League club to raise gate revenues or sponsorship for the move.

Yang said the Olympic venues have been developed on four main fronts: Tourist attractions, hosts of high-profile sports and entertainment events, to showcase the Games legacy and provide commercial services.

After the Olympic Park opened to the public last October, the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube have become huge draws. According to Wang Chun, deputy director of the managing committee of the Olympic Park, the Bird's Nest has received more than 4 million tourists and earned some 210 million yuan while the Water Cube has been visited by more than 2 million and raked in 80 million yuan.

"It's amazing for any single destination in the world to receive so many tourists in such a short time. But we are still thinking of ways to develop it into a more friendly multi-functional park. During the National holiday, some 80,000 tourists visited the Bird's Nest but now the number has declined to 5,000 to 6,000 per day. So we must improve the facilities and create new attractions."

Zhang Hengli, deputy general manger of National Stadium Co Ltd, said the Bird's Nest will present carnivals and demonstration of breath-taking adventure sports in the day while hosting mega sports events or blockbuster shows after dark.

On Aug 8, Italian League Champion Inter Milan and Italian Cup winner Lazio will compete for the Italian Super Cup at the Bird's Nest. It will be the first major international sports event there since the 2008 Olympics and will be followed by the Race of Champions in November. Pitting champions and leading drivers from the world of motor sport, the event was held in London's Wembley Stadium in the past two years. Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel have confirmed their attendance to defend Germany's National Cup glory in the annual race.

"We will carefully select the events and make it a world-class arena hosting high-profile national and international events," said Zhang.

"We not only rent out the venue but are also involved in producing and organizing events. We are co-organizers of Charm of China - the Bird's Nest Summer Concert and will make it an annual highlight event in Beijing's culture calendar. In addition to Turandot in October, we will produce other shows to mark New China's 60th anniversary."

The Bird's Nest and Water Cube will be redeveloped after the National Day holiday in October. Restaurants will open on the second and third floors of the Bird's Nest stadium while the Water Cube will be turned into an entertainment complex with cinemas and restaurants.

Link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-06/25/content_8320391.htm

Ganis

June 26th, 2009, 07:25 AM

so little so few. ok news from a state paper.

New York City 20??

June 26th, 2009, 06:52 PM

so little so few. ok news from a state paper.

Will you call pictures of these events and future renovations fabricated too?

You can find similar reports outside Chinese media. Seeing as you care so much, you'd look back and see that some have been posted in this thread. I can't be bothered to post more at the moment.

Ganis

June 27th, 2009, 07:08 PM

I think i hit a nerve

xavarreiro

June 27th, 2009, 08:48 PM

9/10

New York City 20??

June 28th, 2009, 02:06 AM

I think i hit a nerve

Lol nah, you've only been proven a turd. :)

foxmulder

July 3rd, 2009, 10:56 PM

Don't feed the troll....

marshstar9

July 4th, 2009, 02:09 AM

Looks nice

samuelsamario

July 4th, 2009, 08:50 AM

ESPECTACULAR

LUCAFUSAR

July 11th, 2009, 05:46 PM

The super cup is not the equivalent of the super bowl, it's a playoff between the league (serie a) winners, and the cup (coppa italia) winners from the past season. It's like a warmup for the fans.

Hello everybody.
I wanna tell pompeyfan that he's wrong. The Super Cup is not a warmup match for the fans, but it's the first official game of the 2009/2010 season.:bye:

LUCAFUSAR

July 11th, 2009, 05:49 PM

why does Italy play is championship out side of Italy? That is stupid in my opinion.

Why?

hkskyline

July 13th, 2009, 06:11 PM

Beijing Olympics assets auctions collect $28m
1 July 2009
Copyright 2009 China Daily Information Company. All Rights Reserved.

The last auction of Beijing Olympic assets closed Tuesday, bringing the total deals to 189 million yuan ($27.7 million), an increment of 260 percent from the evaluation price.

Seventy-six items, including sofas and seats at the chairman platform in the Bird's Nest, or the National Stadium, were sold for 563,000 yuan Tuesday.

The Beijing Equity Exchange have sold out more than 700,000 items from the 2008 Games at 25 auctions in nearly a year, including furniture, household appliance and properties at the Games's opening ceremony.

ReiAyanami

July 13th, 2009, 06:56 PM

ghost101

July 19th, 2009, 07:08 AM

Hello everybody.
I wanna tell pompeyfan that he's wrong. The Super Cup is not a warmup match for the fans, but it's the first official game of the 2009/2010 season.:bye:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercoppa_Italiana

Its a pre-season game. As the wikipedia article puts it, a curtain raiser. I doubt italian teams truly care about the game. The same as the English version, the community shield (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Shield), or the former world version, the intercontinental cup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercontinental_Cup_%28football%29).

LUCAFUSAR

July 19th, 2009, 03:05 PM

^^I don't care about what English Wikipedia says about the Supercoppa Italiana. If you wanna find informations about Italy, wikipedia in general is a wrong source for it. Especially the english section lacks in specific information about Italian stuffs. The Supercoppa Italiana is a official game. This game is played by the winner of the previous Campionato di Serie A (FC Internazionale di Milano) and the winner of previous Coppa Italia (SS Lazio). So it's neither a warm-up match nor a exhibition match. Period.

Livno80101

July 19th, 2009, 03:39 PM

RobH

July 19th, 2009, 04:06 PM

Sounds the same as the English Community Shield. Certainly not a pre-season match, but neither is it a match anyone takes that seriously. A curtain-raiser is a good description by the sounds of it.

hkskyline

July 19th, 2009, 06:38 PM

Soccer-Italian Super Cup to feather Olympic Bird's Nest

BEIJING, July 15 (Reuters) - The Italian Super Cup between Inter Milan and Lazio is set to attract a full house of 80,000 to the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing next month after a flurry of early ticket sales.

Over half the seats for the first sporting event at the iconic arena since the close of Beijing's Olympic summer last year have already been booked less than a week after they went on sale, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Wednesday.

"There's no question the Bird's Nest will be full," an organising official told the paper, adding that predicted revenue from the game would be around 70 million yuan ($10.25 million).

The pre-season curtain raiser between Serie A champions Inter and Italian Cup winners Lazio will kick off at 8 p.m. local time on Aug. 8 -- a year after the Olympic opening ceremony at the same venue.

The other major event in the Beijing International Football Festival, the English Premier League's Asia Trophy, has not done as well at the box office so far, the organiser said.

A total of 20,000 tickets had been sold for the biennial tournament involving English clubs Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Hull City as well as hosts Beijing Guoan.

The tournament takes place on July 29 and 31 at the spiritual home of Chinese football in the capital, the Workers' Stadium, which will have a capacity of 49,000 for the event.

"The festival is not just about profit," the organiser added. "The Italian Super Cup is to some extent dedicated to marking the anniversary of the Olympics and the Asia Trophy is an event of great social impact."

Tickets sales might have been hit by reports that Chinese Super League leaders Guoan may put out a weakened team with half an eye on their league match in Chongqing on Aug. 2.

www.sercan.de

July 19th, 2009, 07:13 PM

The Italian Super Cup between Inter Milan and Lazio is set to attract a full house of 80,000

so they removed the temporary seats?

New York City 20??

July 19th, 2009, 09:56 PM

The Italian Super Cup between Inter Milan and Lazio is set to attract a full house of 80,000

so they removed the temporary seats?

I'm wondering the same thing too (not to mention where these temporary seats were/are). And if they removed that large area of Olympic press boxes that took up a good chunk of the first and second tiers.

LUCAFUSAR

July 20th, 2009, 08:22 PM

Supercoppa Italiana is equivalent to English Charity Shield, played one week before Premiership starts. Too, Italian supercup was played in ither countries before, in USA once and once in Lybia, like 5-6 yrs ago :)

:yes:

LUCAFUSAR

July 20th, 2009, 08:25 PM

Sounds the same as the English Community Shield. Certainly not a pre-season match, but neither is it a match anyone takes that seriously. A curtain-raiser is a good description by the sounds of it.

Yes, it's the same thing as the English Community Shield. And, obviously, it's less important then the Campionato di Serie A.

liu dong

July 23rd, 2009, 01:16 PM

^^ Who is to judge what is "good behavior"? The West? LOL

BTW I have interviewed many Chinese without permission and I have travelled all around China in the last two years filming three documentaries for the German-French cultural channel arte on various social topics without any problems and without any permissions.

I think you know the China clearly ! China has became a opening county and always friendly to everyone without prejudice !

hkskyline

August 4th, 2009, 04:45 PM

http://images5.fotop.net/albums5/kelton/Beijing/0729_6024.jpg

http://images5.fotop.net/albums5/kelton/Beijing/0729_6025.jpg

http://images5.fotop.net/albums5/kelton/Beijing/0729_6023a.jpg

http://images5.fotop.net/albums5/kelton/Beijing/0729_6013.jpg

http://images5.fotop.net/albums5/kelton/Beijing/0729_6026.jpg

ReiAyanami

August 4th, 2009, 05:46 PM

If I could make an observation about the Bird's Nest, the thing that I always find difficult to comprehend is it's size...There are no comparison objects/buildings in the vicinity, the tiers are not visible from the outside and the lattice metal stracture wrapped around it make it look more like a sculpture/object than a building...It could be as big as 1 kilometer long or as small as a model superimposed.....Same goes for many other modern stadium designs, but its a lot more prominent in the Beijing's... Any thoughts?

Indian Forever

August 4th, 2009, 05:49 PM

I really enjoyed this stadium during the recent months.:cheers:

Scion

August 7th, 2009, 09:11 AM

Bird's Nest open to public for free

2009-08-07

In celebration of the first anniversary of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, the national stadium known as the "Birds Nest" will be open to the public for free, starting today, the Beijing News reported Friday.
The neighboring National Aquatic Center will also allow visitors in for free.

Since it first opened to the public, 4.5 million people have already visited the Bird's Nest, according to the managing committee of Beijing Olympic Park. That is roughly 15, 000 per day.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-08/07/content_8541798.htm

ReiAyanami

August 7th, 2009, 09:24 AM

hkskyline

August 7th, 2009, 09:57 AM

Novelty factor needs to be considered. The Olympic Games were a huge hit in China, and many want to see the venue and re-live the moment. Perhaps the popularity will wane after a while, but I am not at all surprised at the numbers so far.

ingstad

August 8th, 2009, 06:03 PM

Any photo about the Italian Supercup (Inter - Lazio) today hosted by the Bird Nest?

foxmulder

August 9th, 2009, 12:15 AM

First of all visiting a stadium for a fee automatically cancels the term National/public stadium. Second of all I find hard to believe 15,000 people per day on average have visited the stadium this year, with a total of 4,5 million, when Eiffel tower recieves on average 5-6 million visitors per year.

better believe it...... It shows how popular Olympics and birds net for Chinese and repeated in this topic billion times already.

hkskyline

August 9th, 2009, 05:54 PM

FEATURE-Olympics-Beijing venues busy but not with sport

BEIJING, Aug 7 (Reuters) - The Sun Beach Theme Park was probably not the legacy foremost in the minds of Olympic organisers when they spent billions of dollars building the venues for last year's Beijing Games.

That did not bother five-year-old Liu Lin on Wednesday, however, as she buried herself in the pristine imported sand of the Chaoyang Park stadium, where Olympic medals were decided in beach volleyball last August.

China was determined to have iconic venues like the Bird's Nest stadium and Water Cube aquatics centre for their first hosting of the Games, but were also keen to avoid leaving a legacy of unused "White Elephants" dotting the city.

"The international media's eyes are trained on the Games venues in Beijing ... to see how they would be used after the sports gala," Beijing organising committee official Jiang Xiaoyu wrote in the state media this week.

"Some Olympic cities staged very successful Olympics, but their image suffered after the Games because they failed to use the sport venues effectively."

Liu's sandy playground is a typical example of how that has been done so far, with venue owners cashing in on tourism -- to the extent of 7.4 million yuan ($1.08 million) a month in the case of the beach -- and "cultural events" rather than elite athletic competition.

Sport does return to the Bird's Nest for the first time since the Paralympics to mark the first anniversary of the Olympic opening ceremony on Saturday, when Inter Milan play Lazio in Italian soccer's Super Cup.

That has been the exception rather than the rule, however, with tourists and the occasional music concert covering the huge costs of running the $450 million showpiece where Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt stunned the world last August.

"We were surprised by the flow of the tourists, so we adjusted our plan to focus on tourism," said Zhang Hengli, the venue's deputy manager.

"The maintenance cost of the Bird's Nest is about 70 million yuan ($10.25 million) and the financial repayments about 80-90 million yuan a year, which can be covered by the current income."

SWAN LAKE

At the neighbouring Water Cube, where Michael Phelps won his record eight gold medals, Russian ballet dancers and synchronised swimmers have been wowing the crowds with a version of Swan Lake.

If a 200 yuan tickets for that show is too rich for the wallet, the public can just visit the venue for 50 yuan, and, once having passed a proficiency test, take a dip in one of the practice pools for an extra 20 yuan.

The venues have been cashing in on merchandising too, with goods ranging from Bird's Nest ashtrays to a Water Cube branded version of the fiery Chinese liquor Moutai.

"Beijing has made some initial achievements in the proper use of sport venues to meet people's needs," Jiang continued.

"The Olympic Green has become a new popular tourist spot. The number of visitors these venues drew exceeded even that (of the Forbidden City) for some time after the Games."

The owners, mostly state-owned enterprises, realise that memories of the Olympics alone will not sustain them long term and they need to put in more attractions to cover their costs.

"To keep the current flow of people we have to develop more content such as a daily show," Zhang added.

"And we are also planning to periodically put on shows similar to the Opening Ceremony in the evening."

More sport is planned as well, with the Bird's Nest playing host to November's Race of Champions, featuring Formula One drivers Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button among others.

In October the $6 million China Open tennis tournament will be held for the first time at the Olympic venue, one of the new "crown jewel" events for the women with world number one Rafael Nadal slated to take part in the men's event.

The Wukesong basketball arena, which is co-managed by the National Basketball Association (NBA), is likely to be packed to the rafters on Oct. 11 for a pre-season game between the Indiana Pacers and Denver Nuggets.

Newer sports have also been attracted to Beijing with the mixed martial artists of the Art of War circuit clashing with customary blood and gore in the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium twice this year.

A far cry from Liu and her bucket and spade, perhaps, but also part of the Olympic legacy for the Chinese capital.

MarioGutiérrez

August 10th, 2009, 12:15 AM

Yesterday they talked about this stadium on TV News, one year after its glorious year. They said that they aren't finding a use because is a symbol of China, and is a kind of "shame" that the team of Beijing would play in that stadium, because it just attracts 10,000 supporters, when the stadium has a max. cappacity of 80,000 people. There are 15 million € waste a year on maintenance. It only attracts tourists now...It's very sad that a SO beautiful building is in this situation right now...

Birdseyeview

August 10th, 2009, 07:27 AM

this is very impressive. Would love to visit someday

Jim856796

August 15th, 2009, 08:39 AM

The same day the Italian Super Cup took place, the Turandot Opera was supposed to be performed in the stadium. It would have took place after the Italian Super Cup, but it was probably cancelled because of scheduling conflicts. No one wants to stage an opera on the very same day as a sporting event.

hkskyline

August 29th, 2009, 04:31 PM

By 薑餅人 from dchome :

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_090829/20090829_36761e78716782c0720fJSl6ZZ2o4eNt.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_090829/20090829_573e0621d086fb47435fcbnLaG0RkJK4.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_090829/20090829_99550d5d4c812658cef8a8aD0MJ57hsh.jpg

http://www.dchome.net/attachments/day_090829/20090829_6a03b92bb28ad9b7e7eacRM2D4BxUgLi.jpg

Mo Rush

September 1st, 2009, 05:58 AM

and.....?

hkskyline

September 1st, 2009, 05:23 PM

We're waiting for the next major event ... in the meantime, tourists can continue to visit.

wearethefuture

September 3rd, 2009, 03:00 AM

Have the temporary seats been taken out yet? I thought it was 80k + 10k (temporary seats for the olympic games).

carloseguis

September 3rd, 2009, 10:02 PM

i like it!!!!!

hkskyline

September 8th, 2009, 04:17 AM

"Turandot" on stage at Bird's Nest to celebrate anniversary of New China's founding

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The famous opera "Turandot" is to be staged at the National Stadium, or Bird's Nest on October 6, to celebrate the nation's 60th founding anniversary, under the direction of Zhang Yimou, the director of Beijing's Olympic Games opening ceremony.

On Sunday afternoon, Zhang, together with nationally-famed singers and actors such as Jacky Chen and Song Zuying, a well known singer of Chinese folk Chinese songs, attended a press conference one month away from the show's opening, reported the Beijing Daily Monday.

But Zhang did not reveal any details of the show at the conference. He only said this "Turandot" would make use of ideas not used at last year's Olympic ceremonies.

"I worked for three years at the Bird's Nest to prepare for the opening and closing ceremonies of Beijing Olympics and Paralympics. The venue is forever a precious memory to me," the director said.

"For me, presenting "Turandot" at the Bird's Nest is the continuation of my dream and passion for the Beijing Olympics," Zhang said.

It is not the first time Zhang has directed the opera, which was composed by Italian Giacomo Puccini. He first staged the opera at the Forbidden City in 1998.

To make clear a different style for the same opera, Zhang said the 1998 Turandot was antique, and the new edition would be more modern, using many up to date multimedia and images.

Turandot, an ancient fable that originated in Persia but set in China, tells of a princess so desirable that men came in their hundreds, from all over the world, and queued to vie for her love. A suitor had to answer three vexing riddles -- and anyone who failed to do so was decapitated and his head wound up on a stake, as a warning to those still in line.

Puccini said the melody of Chinese folk song would be one of the important musical themes of "Turandot", which was left unfinished in the second scene of the third act when Puccini died in 1924.

yorubalife

September 15th, 2009, 12:45 PM

This is by far the best stadium in the world:cheers:

rantanamo

September 16th, 2009, 06:27 AM

This is by far the best stadium in the world:cheers:

negative

Ganis

September 16th, 2009, 06:43 AM

negative

I 2nd that!

plasmalover

October 11th, 2009, 08:41 PM

I 2nd that!

Of course, opinions vary but you have at least have to admit it has certain presence; kind of unique in a way, unlike all the other stadiums in the world. Most of the world can identify this stadium as an hallmark to China. Like how the eiffle Tower was when it first was built; people said it is ugly but now they love it. Not saying the bird's nest can become as popular but it is unique.

What do you think is the best stadium? Jerryworld?:lol:

Ganis

October 12th, 2009, 02:01 AM

What do you think is the best stadium? Jerryworld?:lol:

The Best stadiums get used... allot. Does not sit around and collect dust because no one cares to play there.

ReiAyanami

October 12th, 2009, 02:55 AM

That is true. Its like building a house without anyone living there, making a mall without any shops, building a ship and leave it in the port.
Its not the best stadium for the simple reason that is not a used as one in the first place.
And here are some more thoughts: Will it have a tenant? Is there a football team to be able to play there? No. Is it used for athletics? No, cause no athletic games go there in the first place. Is it used as a concert hall? No. So there is no possible use for this venue in the foreseeable future, which limit the available options:
a)Keep maintaining it until a regular sport related use can be found, which means a team to play and maintain it.
b)Convert it to something else like a mall

Of course the problems we see are problems only in the eyes of Europeans or Americans. There has never been a self sustaining venue of this kind in China ever, to begin with, so that might not be something strange, or even be considered an issue over there.

foxmulder

October 12th, 2009, 03:14 AM

As I wrote here before,

China has a population 1.3 billion. Its majority is young people. All major cities in China have stadiums like Birds Nest. All of them are used for sport activities, concerts and sort of events. I guess I need to remind you one more time. China won 100 medals in last Olympics. Where do you think all these athletes are working? In their house?

Moreover, it has national value as an icon very much like Statue of Liberty or Eifel Tower. So, Birds Nest has another special income source, tourists. As people wrote billion of times before, even this is enough to maintain the facility.

One can argue it is expensive and unneccary but I can mention countless examples of this type of speeding for every single country on this world.

People are just fuc..ing jealous.

Congrads Beijing, it was a great Olympics..

Ganis

October 12th, 2009, 03:55 AM

Luke80

October 12th, 2009, 07:51 PM

How did they cheat?

RobH

October 12th, 2009, 07:54 PM

I don't know. I'd quite like a medal-by-medal explanation. The gymnasts are the only thing I can think of, but that hardly accounts for a large percentage of their well-earned medals.

I agree it's a shame a stadium like this is never filled with spectators. But it's an awe inspiring strucure and most of Beijing 2008 was great.

Ganis

October 13th, 2009, 03:31 AM

How did they cheat?

Ya, the gymnastics is all im refering to. But also I am willing to bet none of the athletes did no more then train 16 hours a day with armed guards watching over them for 2 years straight so they could win gold and nothing less for China. They only celebrate their Gold and make the silver and bronze feel ashamed unlike in the west were your happy no matter what.

I like the Steel work of the stadium but the concourse is typical soviet, all function and no form.

Luke80

October 13th, 2009, 03:49 PM

They would have probably won the medal table regardless of their gymnasts winning medals. However, I do agree that their quest for gold medals and how they treated anything else was disgusting and totally unsportsmanlike.

Ohno

October 13th, 2009, 04:30 PM

Ya, the gymnastics is all im refering to. But also I am willing to bet none of the athletes did no more then train 16 hours a day with armed guards watching over them for 2 years straight so they could win gold and nothing less for China. They only celebrate their Gold and make the silver and bronze feel ashamed unlike in the west were your happy no matter what..

You probably give the most ignorant remark here. The athletes who won silver or bronze medals might feel pity for not having gold medal coz they might not have chance to attend Olympics after 4 years. But what is the point that people feel shamed? Who feel shamed? Those athletes no matter who won silver, or bronze can get rewards from many agencies for their contributions. Their hardworking for the games were paid off , why wouldn't Chinese people feel happy for them?

Ganis

October 13th, 2009, 08:13 PM

hkskyline

October 14th, 2009, 06:07 PM

We're not only proud of our gold medalists, we're also proud of the total medal count, which includes silver and bronze medalists.

In any other country people would prize gold over silver and bronze. I don't think that's anything unusual.

deepblue01

October 15th, 2009, 02:16 PM

My statement was that in the rest of the world we still celebrate our silver and bronze medal winners.

The Chinese on the other hand shunned their silver and bronze winners for not being good enough for gold. Its almost better to not medal for China then to medal and not win gold.

Where did you get this evident from. I'm pretty sure that the Chinese understand that they can't be at the top in all categories. They want to, like all athletes from other nations, do the best for their country. Every bit counts, even if it wasn't a medal, getting to the final stage is already a very good effort and something to be proud of. Some people might not be happy by their performance if it was below par or if they let a gold medal opportunity slip away from them, but then again who does?

Phriggin' Ogre

October 16th, 2009, 05:02 AM

Beautiful stadium. Love the abstract design.

rmutt

October 17th, 2009, 03:11 AM

This is the largest stadium in the capital city of the world's most populous country. It isn't going to sit there to gather dust and rust. This venue has ingrained itself into the modern Chinese psyche as an icon and symbol of national pride so much so that it won't sit there totally unused (regardless of what anyone anywhere else thinks of China, the 2008 Games, or Jesus). The Chinese will make it work for them one way or another; it's their stadium.

I suspect it will eventually garner a steady enough schedule of events, as well as entertainment and commercial usage, to sustain itself.

RobH

October 17th, 2009, 08:38 PM

One would hope so.

Bobby3

October 18th, 2009, 12:52 AM

Scion

October 24th, 2009, 08:14 AM

Tourists now come to Bird's Nest to roost

2009-10-24

Move over Palace Museum and Summer Palace, Bird's Nest and Water Cube are here.

The two "modern wonders" pushed the historical landmarks to fourth and fifth spots in a poll on the must-see attractions in Beijing.

The top tourist attraction, however, is still the Great Wall (Badaling section).

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20091024/001ec95974af0c4c97ec59.jpg

Built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, the Bird's Nest (or National Stadium) and the Water Cube (or National Aquatics Center) left many a famous landmark by the wayside to come in second and third in an opinion poll, released at the opening of the 11th Beijing International Tourism Festival on Friday.

The Palace Museum (or Forbidden City), from where the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) emperors ruled, and the Summer Palace were followed by Tian'anmen Square, Temple of Heaven, and Wangfujing.
"This reflects tourists' choice," Yang Yang, general manager of Beijing Spring International Travel Services, said. "Since October last year, almost all the tourists who have come to Beijing in groups have visited the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube."

"They were very high on the must-see list even before this poll," he said.

The other tourist hotspots include Shichahai Lake (No 9), Happy Valley theme park (No 10) and the National Center for the Performing Arts, popularly called the Egg Shell (No 15).

The poll was organized by the Beijing Tourism Administration, and 14 million netizens, both from home and abroad, voted in May and June to choose the 30 most important tourist spots. Tourism industry experts then shortened the list to 16 attractions.

In a similar poll organized in 1986. Tian'anmen Square had topped the list, followed by the Palace Museum, the Great Wall, Beihai Park, the Summer Palace and Fragrant Hill.

Fragrant Hill, Shidu (a national karst geological park in Fangshan district), and the Grand View Garden (where the film based on the classic novel Dream of the Red Chamber was shot), among the top tourist spots on the 1986 list, have disappeared from the new list.

"The new list reflects a more vibrant, modern Beijing," Beijing resident Zhang Wei said.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20091024/001ec95974af0c4c97ec59.jpg

Ganis

October 24th, 2009, 07:21 PM

to bad its not bring used for what it was built for.

Scion

October 24th, 2009, 09:01 PM

^^ The same can be said for all the top 5, and the 7th attraction.

1. Great Wall Badaling - to defend and keep invaders out. Now it's overrun with tourists and foreigners.

2. and 3. Birds Nest and Water Cube. yeah

4. Forbidden City - for the emperor and his large family to live. Now it's a museum.

5. Summer Palace - for the emperor and his large family to blow off some steam. Now it's for the public (with a small entrance fee) to blow off some steam

7. Tiantan - for the emperor to pray for peace and good harvest. Now it's a park / museum.

Ganis

October 24th, 2009, 09:12 PM

historic sites and Stadiums are different.

rmutt

October 25th, 2009, 12:14 AM

Because the Great Wall was always the Great Wall and known by everybody. It was never something to keep people away but always something to attract tourists. Because historic sites are build as historic sites and fall under a precise definition. Yes of course.

The Bird’s Nest hosted China’s coming out party, the riskiest thing that country has done in its modern history, if not ever. It is now regarded as a very worthy tourist spot for the Chinese.

deepblue01

October 25th, 2009, 12:46 AM

I think with the big sucess from the Olympics, simply using it like an ordinary stadium is not good enough i guess, from the view of the Chinese people. As time passes though, they will realise that they will have to use this stadium sooner or later. There is so much talk about it being a white elephant, we need to keep in mind that its only been 1 year since the brilliant olympics. Not just locals from other provinces would want to see the stadium, but also me, living in Australia would want to go their just to see this stadium.Since this stadium hosted China's first olympics, and probably will remain so for some time, this is something historical and significant. I guess some people might find it hard to see how something can be historical since its only been 1 yr since its opening, but give it time, and the historical element will come out for some people, for others, its already there!!!

koolio

October 25th, 2009, 02:12 AM

RobH

October 25th, 2009, 01:03 PM

I agree with Ganis; it is a real shame no sports teams play there and no sports events take place there now. If the Chinese are happy with that, that's fine, but from my personal perspective it seems a little bit of a waste.

There's absoltely no reason why it can't be both a tourist attraction and a successful sports stadium. Take Berlin's Olympic Stadium as a perfect model - Hertha Berlin pack it out on the weekends, it hosted the World Athletics Champions, but when it's empty people can pay to have historical tours about the 1936 Games, the stadium's history, how it was built etc. etc. That's the sort of model I would like to see this stadium adopt to get the most out of it.

You're right, it's only been closed for a year so perhaps it's a bit too early to judge its success or otherwise, but I do hope the Chinese are working towards a solution to make one of the world's greatest stadiums a stage for great sports once more. :)

Bobby3

October 25th, 2009, 05:25 PM

Guoan isn't big enough to play there, they have problems filling their 35,000 seater.

Ganis

October 25th, 2009, 07:15 PM

Guoan isn't big enough to play there, they have problems filling their 35,000 seater.

then why wasn't their plans to reduce the seats in this stadium after to Olympics? O, i know! SOVIETS ARE NOT SMART.

Ganis

October 25th, 2009, 07:17 PM

Also go ahead and ignore me just because I call this stadium out for only making money for being a tourist trap that the Chinese government forces its citizens to go to.

rmutt

October 25th, 2009, 08:05 PM

I'd take you more seriously Ganis if you back up these claims you keep making.

Seriously. I would welcome evidence of the Chinese government forcing people, both Chinese nationals and foreign tourists, onto tour buses headed for Beijing's Olympic Green. Would just welcome it.

But until then, I don't believe any of it or credit anyone who says it.

And I'll add that I too would prefer to see this great stadium act as both a host of sport and cultural events and a world tourist site. I just don't see the rational in people's questioning of its legitimacy as a tourist site or their proclaiming it as a stadia-failure so quickly.

foxmulder

October 26th, 2009, 12:22 AM

historic sites and Stadiums are different. Your jealousy is beyond scale. You find it unbearable Chinese built such iconic sports facilities which echoes Olympic spirit up to a level nobody even come close before.

Here, some more stuff you can cry about;

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/8703/beijingnationalstadium1.jpg
http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/8859/00a93ed6jpeg.jpg

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/205/00a512a6jpeg.jpg

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/3988/00aa8ae1jpeg.jpg

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/1604/00aa6796jpeg.jpg

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/4022/0401c7b6.jpg

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/3311/800pxshanghaistadium200.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/7995/04015d29t.jpg

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/1778/682342.jpg

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/3264/2008090511132640407.jpg

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/6599/image1jg.jpg

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/8162/dsc0011ici.jpg

http://img269.imageshack.us/img269/9755/tianjinolympiccentersta.jpg

This is just tip of the iceberg by the way. Visit China forum, you find many more stuff you can troll about.

RobH

October 26th, 2009, 12:32 AM

Your jealousy is beyond scale. You find it unbearable Chinese built such iconic sports facilities which echoes Olympic spirit up to a level nobody even come close before.

What an utterly bizzare post. Believing a sports stadium should host sports, if at all possible, isn't trolling and isn't indicative of jealousy. It's a perfectly reasonable viewpoint and one I happen to share.

As I said, if the Chinese are happy with the status quo, then who are we to question it, but putting our opinions down to nothing but jealousy doesn't show you up in a very good light. :ohno:

---------

EDIT:
Although having said that and having read Ganis' most recent posts which I missed amongst all the photos, I'd quite like to see Ganis' evidence that the Chinese are forced to go there. I've not heard that before. I don't like to see an argument I agree with ruined by being backed up by false information. So a link at the very least would be nice.

Ganis

October 26th, 2009, 03:54 AM

I am soo jealous, I can drive 30 minutes to go see the most amazing stadium ever made in Arlington Texas and your saying im jelous of the crap going up in China??? seriously, those photos were a waist of time and I have no idea what your trying to prove because I was not putting down China, I was putting down china for building a one time use White Elephant.

Also it was a Communism joke since i have not seen a photo of a Western tourist touring the stadium. Other then the steel work on the exterior it is a boring stadium.

foxmulder

October 26th, 2009, 05:57 AM

I have never realize your intentions were positive with your posts Ganis. Your tone shows you see China inferior.

According to your criteria, all the stadiums pictured above and many others that are currently being built are useless commy showcase pieces.

You cannot comprehend that China and USA have different sport cultures which I have tried many times to explain. China doesn't have any thing like NFL or soccer leagues to the scale that found in South America or Europe. These stadiums are for Chinese youth to perform other Olympic sports. So, they have different purpose.

I guess if you were in charge China wouldn't have any stadiums at all. Profit is not the concern here.

Moreover, Birds Nest is not even loosing money.

It means much more than being just a stadium.

herb21

October 26th, 2009, 08:42 PM

Your jealousy is beyond scale. You find it unbearable Chinese built such iconic sports facilities which echoes Olympic spirit up to a level nobody even come close before.

Im not really sure if it really echoes olympic spirit. It was definetly Grandoise and extrvagant with some really interesting and inspiring architecture but I dont know if it echoed the ideals of taking part over been the best and competeing simply for the love of sport.

Ganis

October 26th, 2009, 11:11 PM

^^ Well Said

RobH

October 26th, 2009, 11:34 PM

Perhaps. Ganis, still waiting for your "proof" that people are forced to visit by the authorities.

Ganis

October 27th, 2009, 03:57 AM

i said it was a soviet joke

rmutt

October 27th, 2009, 04:27 AM

Too bad it was neither funny nor in any way Soviet.

Ganis

October 27th, 2009, 04:32 AM

In Soviet China, you dont die in plane crash. Plane die and then you crash.

trmather

October 27th, 2009, 12:09 PM

Too complicated for a Soviet joke, and China was never Soviet, so it doesn't work anyway.

Nice try though.

ReiAyanami

October 27th, 2009, 03:04 PM

In modern China stadiums use you!

koolio

October 27th, 2009, 08:22 PM

GunnerJacket

October 27th, 2009, 09:40 PM

It was built for the Olympic games and that purpose was served. Why should it matter what its future usage is like? It was obvious long ago than China does not have the professional sporting culture (yet) that requires massive stadiums. Should they have built a 15k capacity stadium because realistically that is what a professional football club there can handle?15k? No, but what I suspect is at the heart of the ridicule and derision is that this and other venues appear to be blatantly overbuilt in terms of grandeur and function. Communist jokes aside China is a nation with serious economic, social and environmental concerns, arguably the most pressing concerns given the size of the population. That such an expense was levied not only for the Olympics in general but specifically for an intricate stadium that, by all appearances has now completed its purpose, suggests the event was that much more of a sham.

It's also become all the more galling when people are ridiculing the London stadium for supposed architectural shortcomings when clearly the two venues are epitomizing the polar opposite ends of the functionality debate: England is aiming for almost pure functionality, efficiency and sustainability, while Beijing went the route of extravagance, when in fact it feels as if socially it should've been the other way around!

As I've said before, the Bird's Nest was apparently built as a showpiece specifically for the opening and closing ceremonies and for this tourist potential, which as an architectural statement suggests to me a favoring of style over substance, image over content, illusion over reality. Political conspirators have even gone so far as to say it's a grand distraction to keep people from seeing the real Beijing. Regardless, it now stands as a monument to where at least one administration placed its priorities - That is to say, they poured billions into a grand sculpture while continuing to put aside other societal needs. (And let's face it, the emphasis is so much on the exterior a sculpture might be the best word, as the interior is so heavily downplayed.)

Is it a great work of architecture? Sure.

Is it a great stadium? Probably but it's lacking in the role of practicality and, now, need.

Is it working for China? That depends on your perspective of the nation.

Finally, is it a great Olympic venue? As herb21 pointed out, probably not. In the sense that the Olympics have become an overly commercialized event where the only important event is the host cities outdoing one another in the opening ceremonies it did wonderful job, but as a testament to the Olympic spirits of purity and celebrating sport I find it over the top. A monument not to sport, but to excess and misguided priorities.

At least, that's what I'm seeing.

koolio

October 27th, 2009, 10:39 PM

First of all, I don't understand why this has to be compared with London. If the London games happened before than I guess it would have made sense ... otherwise why does it matter?

Secondly, in regards to cost, aren't there already some serious concerns in terms of cost overruns for the London Games? Not that I am surprised to be honest ... the Olympic games have seldom been known for their fiscal responsibility.

All I know is that the "grandeur over function" mantra has ALWAYS been a part of stadium designs ... especially when it comes to the Olympic Games and other such similarly big events. Us Canadians have the Montreal Olympic stadium as an example ... I am a big fan of the stadium itself but the fact remains that very little thought was put into it in terms of absolute sustainability. I think the same could be said about the upcoming FIFA World Cup in SA with all those expensive stadiums.

Ganis

October 28th, 2009, 12:52 AM

In modern China stadiums use you!

awesome

deepblue01

October 28th, 2009, 02:34 AM

^^ Hey guys, lets get back to the topic, the Beijing National Stadium, not China or its politics or any other nation's stadiuims or their politics either. This part of the forum is for stadiums lol.

Scion

October 29th, 2009, 09:48 AM

Bird's Nest prepares for the Race Of Champions

The trucks are paving the race track for the upcoming Race of Champions (ROC) - an international motorsport event held at the end of each year, featuring some of the world's best racing and rally drivers. This year's ROC will be held in Beijing from November 2 to November 4. Seven-time F1 champion Michael Schumacher has confirmed he will fly into Beijing to take part in the event.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20091029/00221917dead0c536b804e.jpg

Race car examinations

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20091029/00221917dead0c5371ea51.jpg

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20091029/00221917dead0c53736a5a.jpg

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20091029/00221917dead0c53742b00.jpg

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-10/29/content_8868689.htm

HSBC

October 29th, 2009, 11:13 AM

In Soviet China, you dont die in plane crash. Plane die and then you crash.

What an ignorant and idiotic comment! You are no different from that jokingly idiotic ex-president from Texas.
In America, the pilots in domestic flight can fall asleep while the plane is up on the sky!

Scion

January 6th, 2010, 12:12 PM

Bird's Nest transformed into a winter wonderland

http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p340/Dalianon/e47412ea.jpg

http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p340/Dalianon/f5ad620d.jpg

http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p340/Dalianon/ae5651b4.jpg

http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p340/Dalianon/b535d38f.jpg

http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p340/Dalianon/a848fb7d.jpg

http://i344.photobucket.com/albums/p340/Dalianon/113d6da5.jpg

ReiAyanami

January 6th, 2010, 12:50 PM

Awesome, at least it's a first!

aus16

January 6th, 2010, 03:46 PM

they really need to take down the olympic signage and the torch

Bobby3

January 6th, 2010, 04:43 PM

It isn't the only Olympic Stadium with that stuff still in tact.

RobH

January 6th, 2010, 05:06 PM

No, but it looks funny laying on its side on the roof. It'd be better off coming down and being made into a monument like they've done in Sydney.

aus16

January 6th, 2010, 09:26 PM

yeh but the olympic stadiums with the torch still there were permanent torches, not one on a mechanical track, secondly, NO olympic stadium other from this has left the signage up for over a year

Walbanger

January 7th, 2010, 05:32 AM

If it becomes a real burden, I'm still all for carving it up and shipping it to Perth for reassembly. We could use really use it. No doubt a lot of Western Australian iron was used in its construction.;)

aus16

January 7th, 2010, 06:00 AM

welli know that the atlanta one was moved to the highway outside the stadium, the sydney one was moved to a park outside the stadium and the athens one is still there because it is attached permanently to the roof

ReiAyanami

January 7th, 2010, 09:03 PM

The torch should move, this is not a solution indeed. BTW for the record, the torch in OAKA, is outside and doesn't even touch the stadium

aus16

January 7th, 2010, 10:40 PM

but then how does it lean down at that angle im pretty sure its permanently connected to the roof

ReiAyanami

January 7th, 2010, 11:05 PM

Check my photo from the north, it's because the bowl is almost completly sunken from that side.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/6071/oaka01.jpg
http://samgreenfield.com/log/images/2004-08-28/stadium.jpg

Which bring us back to the point: Is it possible to cover the stadium completely, making it an indoor facility, and then devide it as it was done with the millenium dome in London???
http://wwp.millennium-dome.com/images/millennium-dome/millennium-dome-aerial-view-river-thames.jpg

aus16

January 8th, 2010, 12:07 AM

i dont think so because the roof would not be able to support the extra part nor would it look good, as well as that, the o2 arena in london has its own roof and is not in any way connected to the dome outside it

1772

January 14th, 2010, 10:34 AM

The official estimates are that the games final tab was at $ 16.000.000.000.

Are there any official info on how much the olympics brought in as revenue? Did they loose or gain money from it?

aus16

January 14th, 2010, 11:04 AM

im sure as in most cases except atlanta (privately funded) and sydney (very very financially successful) that they were in the red after the games

Scion

January 14th, 2010, 12:11 PM

^^

Beijing Olympics made a profit of over one billion yuan

June 22, 2009

The Beijing Olympics turns out to be a profitable one, which generates profits exceeding one billion yuan, an audit report by National Audit Office (NAO) announced.

According to the report of the Games' finances and construction costs of Olympic venues released by NAO on June 20, 2009, revenue of the Beijing Olympics totaled 20.5 billion yuan, an increase of 800 million yuan compared to the budget. Expenditure totaled 19.343 billion yuan, a slight increase compared to the budget. The financial balance will exceed one billion yuan and revenue greatly exceeds the budget. The Paralympics broke even with revenue and expenditure both totaling 863 million yuan.
　
NAO found during the auditing that some projects were over-budgeted and some equipment for the information system was underutilized. The Bird's Nest exceeded its budget by 456 million yuan due to its complex structure, high technical difficulty, high technical demand, and change in function, standard and increas in the cost of main construction materials.
　
BOCOG made, revised and improved ten internal management rules and adjusted project plans according to auditing advice. BOCOG strengthened management, cut expenditure and improved efficiency of funds utilized, therefore saving over 100 million yuan. According to final accounts audit (draft), the actual surplus greatly exceeds the budget.

Up to March 15, original book value of assets of BOCOG was 909 million yuan. 56% of them were already sold with an income of 146 million Yuan. BOCOG planned to deal with the rest of the assets by public auction, donation to welfare establishments and government departments and donation of some significant properties to cultural heritage and archive bureaus and museums.
　　
Follow-up audit found bids of some projects were against regulation. The audit found that bids of 28 items of 14 projects were against regulation. The bids were not conducted in accord with standards required by authorities. There were flaws in the process which influenced the bid results.
　　
In order to attract public funds to the construction of Olympic projects and solve the problem of operation of venues after the Olympics, the local government of Beijing adopted the method of legal bidding. The bid winner would form the project company and be responsible for funding, designing, construction and operation of the venue after the Olympics. Investors of some projects couldn’t provide enough funds, withdrew from the project in the process or divide the project and construct it separately. It was also difficult for the government to keep promises of some favorable land and tax policies. For example, one of national stadium’s stockholders Golden State has never provided enough funds for its project since it began and still owes 47 million yuan now.

Revenue components

Part of IOC's income from market development and sale of broadcasting rights is required to be given to the host city. Such revenue takes up 40% of all of BOCOG’s revenue.

Revenue from market development is 9.87 billion yuan, including funds from sponsors and income from sale of the right for special permit operations.

Tickets, accommodation, interests and assets disposal bring in revenue of 1.96 billion yuan. The revenue from tickets is 1.28 billion yuan and from assets disposal is 240 million yuan.

Expenditure components

Expenditure on the opening and closing ceremonies of Beijing Olympics and Paralympics totals 831 million yuan.

Expenditure on torch relay of Beijing Olympics is 312 million yuan and on torch relay of Beijing Paralympics is 20 million yuan.

Expenditure on volunteers is 171 million yuan.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90779/90867/6683764.html