Things to do in Beijing, China: The Best Arenas & Stadiums

Reviewed By FancyFree55 - Florida, United States

Though I visited in Beijing as a tourist in September 2008, this was my first visit to the Olympic site because the Paralympic Games were underway in '08, and civilians couldn't get anywhere near the venue. Five friends visited on a Saturday afternoon, and I was blown away by the majesty of the site, more than a decade later. The gigantic Olympic flame tower looms high over the park. The Bird's Nest is a structural steel wonder. The Cube, where water sports competitions were held, is a marvel in itself. Ghosts of roaring crowds still roam the grounds. You can almost taste the victories won here, as well as the permanence of defeats. I was delighted to watch young children practicing roller skating in the park. A couple of surprises were: 1) no admission fee. The gate is guarded but, once through security, you're free to roam. (You can pay a fee to go inside the Bird's Nest or The Cube) 2) no sit-down toilets were available. We had to utilize traditional Chinese-style toilets. Not fun. Bring your own paper. 3) very few tourists rubbing elbows on Saturday afternoon. We had the park mostly to ourselves. A few refreshment and souvenir shops were open while we visited. You can buy drinks and ice cream and magnets and T-shirts at reasonable prices. This is a beautiful place to take a long walk and enjoy the flowers and greenery. Be aware though that there is one, and only one, entrance. We walked all the way to the south end thinking we could exit closer to our hotel, only to learn that we had to return to the north side of the grounds to get out. Our friends weren't interested in touring the National Stadium or The Cube, but Hubby and I are likely to return to check them out too before we leave Beijing.