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Since the 2008 Olympic Games, the stadiums in Beijing Olympic Park have been actively exploring post-Games transformation. As of the end of June, they had held over 7,000 large-scale activities and high-end conferences and had welcomed 380 million Chinese and foreign guests.
Post-game operation and utilization of Olympic venues is a difficulty recognized around the world. Since the 2008 Games the stadiums in Beijing Olympic Park have carried out a large number of exploratory innovations. Tian Juqing, permanent deputy director of the Beijing Olympic Park Management Committee, described the various activities held at the venues at the 2016 Beijing CBD Business Festival held on September 6th. Since the Olympic Games, the National Stadium (‘Birds Nest’) has held various activities including the IAAF World Track & Field Challenge, Supercoppa Italiana, and the 30th anniversary of the Rolling Stones; the National Swimming Center (Water Cube) has held multiple swimming and diving matches and large-scale activities as well as national swimming fitness activity.
During the first six months of this year the park held over 7,000 large-scale activities and high-end conferences and exhibitions, including over 800 international activities such as the 15th World Athletics Championship, the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, and the Beijing International Film Festival, welcoming 380 million Chinese and foreign tourists. Meanwhile, events like the International Marathon and FINA Short Course Swimming Matches have become fixed high-end brand activities in the park each year.
He indicated that in addition to active use of the original Olympic stadiums, the capacity of the Olympic Park has also been increased. For example, the Chinese Classics Center has been basically completed and is predicted to be partly opened in 2017; the permanent office of AIIB will settle in the center. In addition, major projects such as the National Art Museum of China, the Chinese Craft Art Gallery and the Pavilion of Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage will also be housed there.
“Next, the region will build the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Snow & Ice Industry Belt,” said Tian, adding that “The Water Cube has been determined as the match venue of male and female curling and wheelchair curling in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympics. The largest ice pavilion in Beijing is planned to be launched this year, and an Ice Cube is predicted to be open in two years. The only newly built venue is the National Speed Skating Pavilion, which will be built on the archery range and field hockey field of the 2008 Olympic Games in the north Forest Park.”
Winter athletic and recreational cooperation in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei will grow in future. The growth will require new construction, reorganization and expansion of the Winter Olympic Games pavilions, strengthening of the software and hardware construction for winter sports, expansion of the service scope of the key winter facilities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and cultivation of more professional talents. Tian said that “In preparing for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, we will strengthen the functions of the Olympic Park as a world cultural exchange platform and national sports recreational center.”
