Officials and guests take a photo during the opening ceremony of the Shenyang football stadium on Sept 12. [Photo/ nen.com.cn]

An indoor soccer stadium was opened in Shenyang, capital city of Northeast China’s Liaoning province, on Sept 12, Shenyang Daily reported.

With a total investment of 50 million yuan ($7.5 million), the soccer stadium, which is 32 meters high and covers an area of 14,000 square meters, is equipped with an artificial turf soccer field that can play host to an 11-a-side soccer match, as well as a 400-meter track around the soccer field. The stadium will be an air-supported structure and will be the largest of its type in China.

The soccer stadium is a part of Huanggu district’s comprehensive sports complex, and the whole stadium contains a soccer stadium, a soccer-themed bar, an exercise rehabilitation center, a spa center and a fitness center.

The highlight of the soccer stadium is its round-the-clock thermostat system, which keeps the indoor temperature of the stadium between 16 C to 22 C, all year round.

The system brings greater comfort to soccer enthusiasts in Shenyang, as Shenyang has a cold 6-month long winter, with average temperatures below freezing and sometimes falling to -30 C –– too cold for outdoor activities.

In addition, the stadium also features a PM2.5 filtration system, helping to keep the stadium’s air clear, which is of great importance for people taking exercise there, as Shenyang has suffered from serious air pollution the past few years.

To promote the development of sports in Shenyang and encourage residents to keep fit, the newly built soccer stadium will open to the public at 5:30 am to 8:30 pm from Sept 16 onwards, according to Zheng Qi, general manager of Shenyang Lesi Sports Co.

The new Shenyang football stadium, which opens on Sept 12. [Photo/ people.com.cn]