The successful Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has left a deep impression on people’s mind in the world. For many foreign visitors, the temptation is still great to visit the Bird’s Nest (Beijing National Stadium ) and Water Cube (Beijing National Aquatics Centre).
Bird’s Nest (Beijing National Stadium )
Well, how, when to visit the two fancy Olympic sites? What do you expect from them? Any tips for visiting the two Olympic buildings?
Water Cube (Beijing National Aquatics Center).
Personally I’ve been to the Olympic Park for several times. We’ve rounded up some practical tips helping you plan your own trip to the great architectures in the Olympic Park.
Tip 1: Subway is highly recommended
Both Bird’s Nest and Water Cube are easily accessible through subway, cheap and fast. Take Subway Line 10 and get off at Beitucheng Station. Then interchange for Subway Line 8 and get off at the next station to the north – Olympic Sports Center or the second station – Olympic Park ( Olympic Green ). Once you come out from the subway, you are inside the Olympic Park. The park is free to the public.
Taxi is not recommended mainly due to the fact it is hard to find a parking lot. So very often your driver has to stop in a parking area a bit far from the Olympic Park and you have to walk a long distance before you get to the park.
Tip 2: An evening tour better than a daytime visit
Of course, during the daytime, you can have a close look at their true faces. But the bird’s nest is so much concrete and the water cube looks lifeless. Just too little shade and shelter provided by trees, very hot in summer!
Beauifully Lit-up Beijing National Stadium
If you come here in the evening, things are a world of difference! The Water Cube displays a different colour pattern each evening, looking like a fantastic magic box.
Visiting Water Cube
It is said that solar panel inside the nest collects the sun’s rays by the daytime and light the bird’s nest by night. An illuminated bird’s-nest gives you much for thinking!
Tip 3: Outside or inside?
Many people just take some pictures from their outside; some prefer to go inside exploring. Which is better? It all depends.
The Picture of the Whole Stadium Illuminated
If you have limited time, or you are not interested in what is going on inside, then just have a glimpse. That’s all right. If you are more curious about the inner structures of the two buildings, inside visiting is high recommended if you have sufficient time.
Visiting Beijing National Stadium
Opening time and Entrance fee for Bird’s Nest: 09:00 – 18:0 RMB: 50 Water Cube: RMB30 Water Park: RM 200 Swimming only: RMB 50
Tip 4: Avoid public holiday or weekend
If you are not interested in the people-watching, just avoid coming here on public holiday and weekend. On the tourist season, tickets are hard to get. You have to line up for quite some time before you buy entrance tickets.
Water Cube
At the main entrance to the Olympic sites, there are some convenience stores for you to buy water and snack food.
Tip 5: More than sightseeing
It is estimated that every weekday there are 20,000 to 30,000 daily visitors on coming to Olympic Park. About 5000 people will go inside either Bird’s Nest or Water Cube each day!
Most of the income of two buildings comes from the tickets selling and other comprehensive management, which just meets the cost for maintaining the two buildings.
To make the two buildings more lucrative, local government and management company are going to gradually change the two sports building into a leisure centre including eating, playing, entertaining, meetings and conference, hotels and sports events as well.
It is said that a trendy and high-end Olympic Theme Restaurant has been set up in Bird’s Nest. In Winter, the bird’s nest will be made a ski resort for a winter festival.
The entrance fee for the newly built water amusement parks costs RMB 200 per person. The entrance fee for the water cube still keeps at RMB 30.
Tip 6: More to see and to do in the Olympic Park
The Bird’s Nest and Water Cube are just two most important Olympic Buildings in the park. Other Olympic venues including Beijing National Indoor Stadium, the archery range, tennis courts and hockey rink in North Olympic Forest Park.
Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Beijing:
Plan your Inner Mongolia tour from Beijing? Basically Hohhot, the capital city of Inner Mongolia, very often is your springboard to jump onto the grassland in the exotic province, escaping the heat and bustle and hustle of Beijing.
Hohhot itself is worth your 1-2 day exploration with its unique historical sites and a large Hui Muslim community.
Location of Hohhot
Hohhot is about 500 km northwest of Beijing, 2 and half hours by high-speed train, 10 hours by overnight train, one and half hours by flight and 5 and half hours by road. So basically you have three choices of transportation tools going from Beijing to Hohhot and vice versa.
Beijing Hohhot Travel Map
Which one to choose depends on your preference, your time, budget and the availability of these transportation tools at the time when you start your journey. Now let’s go one by one in terms of the ways of travel from Beijing to Hohhot.
Beijing Hohhot By Train
Currently there are 20 daily trains, either direct or passing by trains, going between Beijing and Hohhot. Some trains are high-speed trains taking 2 and half hours, others are fast or overnight trains taking about 10 hours.
There are 4 major railway stations in Beijing, namely Beijing Railway Station, Beijing West Railway Station, Beijing North Railway Station and Beijing South Railway Station. When you book your train tickets, make sure you understand which railway station you are going to use.
Beijing Hohhot by Flights
Currently there are about 2 daily direct flights between Beijing and Hohhot. The flight takes about 1 and half hours.
All the flights for Hohhot from Beijing arrive at Hohhot Baita International Airport. The flights starting from Beijing take off from Beijing Capital International Airport.
Beijing Hohhot by Road
Hohhot can be easily reached by road along the G7 National Highway. You may drive directly from Beijing by your private vehicle or take a long distance bus.
Definitely, self-drive would be faster taking 5 and half hours from Beijing to Hohhot while a long-distance bus will take you 8 or 11 hours.
There are daily 6 buses starting from Beijing Liuliqiao Long-Distance Bus Station to Hohhot. The buses are scheduled at 8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 12:30 and 14:30 and bus fare around RMB 149.
Tip: Hassle-free Inner Mongolia Guided Tours
If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for guided tours to Inner Mongolia:
Plan your Beijing night tour? Beijing has a vibrant nightlife teeming with numerous attractions to see and things to do. I round up my list of the top 10 things to do at night in Beijing, which might offer some useful tips for planning your own Beijing night trip.
1. Night view of Chang’An Avenue & Tiananmen Square
Chang’An Avenue is regarded as the longest and widest street in the world of this kind. It is also reputed as “The First Street in China”, one of the most significant streets in China.
Beijing Tiananmen Square is located on the south of the mid Chang’ An Avenue while Tiananmen Tower on the north. Shortly after the sun is setting over Tiananmen Square, most of the buildings in or surrounding Tiananmen Square will be lit up, turning the square a multi-coloured wonderland.
Come to Tiananmen Square and Chang’An Avenue at night to feel the vibe and mix with the locals!
Beijing CBD area refers to Beijing Central Business Centre, a cluster of domestic and international firms and the centre of trade, finance, creativity industry and media in Beijing. It is also a primary area of modern buildings and starchitectures.
Beijing CBD is located on the east of Beijing between the 3rd Ring Road and the 4th Ring Road. Personally, I think China World Hotel is the centre of Beijing CBD. China World Trade Centre Tower III used to be the tallest skyscraper in Beijing with 81 floors, 4 underground floors, and 30 elevators. Now It is surpassed by China Zun.
Sunset Glow over the CCTV Building
Designed by architecture firm Farrells, China Zun is 528 meters high, ranking the 9th in the world, the 5th in China and the 1st in Beijing among all the completed skyscrapers in the world.
China Zun, the highest building in Beijing ( from the internet)
You can easily get to the core of Beijing CBD by taking Subway No.01 or No.10 and get off at the station of Guomao and using either Exit A or B, where you are just next to China World Hotel and Guomao Bridge.
If you want to see the CCTV Building, China Zun and neon-lit CBD, you may come to Blue Frog ( Gumao ) on the 6th floor of the North Section China World Mall, an amazing place to view the CBD area. Check out my two articles below for more information:
3. Hanging out in the evening at Shichahai (Back Lake)
If you like to hang out in the evening, Shichahai is a great place to kill your time, drinking and gossiping. Shichahai is shot through with chic bars and restaurants. Hiding yourself in one of the bars and escaping the hustle and bustle of the crazy world temporarily.
Guitar Bar at Shichahai
If you would like have a window shopping for a flea-market type of experience, Yandai Xiejie Street at Shichahai is a perfect place. Yandai Byway or Old Pipe Street is one of such old commercial streets that showcase Beijing’s past.
The stone and slab paved street is flanked with shops and boutiques.
4. Catch the vibe in the illuminated Qianmen Street
“Qianmen” literally means “Front Gate”. Qiamen Street is located south of Qianmen Tower to the south of Tiananmen Square, hence the name of the street. It lies on the north and south axis of Beijing. Qianmen Street runs south from Tiananmen Square, just along the Beijing central axis. It is one of the last remnants of the business centers of old Beijing.
Strolling along Qianmen Street and its branch-off alleys in the evening is a pleasant familiarization and sightseeing walk, getting yourself closer to the local people and their life.
5. Snacking & Shopping in the neon-lit Wangfujing Street
The 810-meter Wangujing walking Street is packed with shops, stores,and restaurants including several big shopping malls, such Oriental Plaza, Beijing Department Store, Sun Dong An Plaza, the New China Woman and Children Department etc. It also has two large bookstores – the Wangfujing Xinhua Bookstore and the Beijing Foreign Languages Bookstore.
Wangfujing Pedestrian Street
One highlight on Wangfujing Street is Wangfujing Snack Street (王府井小吃街）which is set on a narrow alley off the main walking street.
Wangfujing Snack Street
Take subway line 2, get off at the station of Wangfujing and use Exit C. Follow the throng into the Wangfujing Pedestrian Street. Walking north for about 50 meters, you will see a KFC on your right side, and opposite the KFC is a decorated archway, the east entrance to Wangfujing Snack Street.
6. Hanging out at TaiKoo Li Sanlitun in the evening
It is dubbed as one the capital’s hottest fashion destination and the coolest place to hang out.
Taikoo Li Sanlitun is an open shopping district consisting of 19 low-density contemporary buildings. Sanlitun Taikoo Li itself represents a cultural gathering, so it’s all about people: creating art and leading fashion as well as enjoying food, shopping and fun.
TaiKoo Li Sanlitun (Photo from english.visitbeijing.com.cn)
Subway: take subway line 10 and get off at at the station of Tuanjiehu (团结湖), and exit from Exit A, 500 meters to the west; take Line 6 to Dongdaqiao Station （东大桥）, exit B, 700 meters to the north.；take Line 2 to Dongsishitiao （东四十条）Station, exit from Exit C.
7. Night View of Bird’s Nest and Water Cube
Beijing National Stadium, nicknamed “Bird’s Nest”, is located in the center of Beijing Olympic Park. It was the site for the opening and closing ceremony for the Olympic Games in 2008.
Beijing National Aquatics Center,nicknamed “Water Cube”, is west of Bird’s Nest in the Olympic Park. It is dubbed “cube” because of its semi-transparent “bubbles” spread out all over its surface with a shape very similar to the structure of “H2O”.
Of course, during the daytime, you can have a close look at their true faces. But the bird’s nest is so much concrete and the water cube looks lifeless. Just too little shade and shelter provided by trees, very hot in summer!
Visiting Beijing National Stadium
If you come here in the evening, things are a world of difference! The Water Cube displays a different colour pattern each evening, looking like a fantastic magic box.
It is said that solar panel inside the nest collects the sun’s rays by the daytime and light the bird’s nest by night. An illuminated bird’s-nest gives you much for thinking
If you want to eat out in the evening after a daytime trip, you are recommended to stroll Gui Jie ( Ghost Street 簋街), an almost 24-hour food street lined with numerous eateries on both sides. It is quite popular with local Beijing people, expats, tourists as well.
The Ghost Street
Almost all the restaurants here are decorated in red – red store-front plaques, red lanterns and red lights with great vibe, a great place for friends, families and couples all to meet for dinner or just for the vibe here.
This show is put on in the Red Theater located on the east of Tiantan Hotel in Xing Fu Dajie, Dongcheng District. CHC has collected a group of the best Kung Fu practitioners of China and invited the best directors and designers of the country. The show is a must-see production in Beijing for tourists and Kung Fu lovers.
This is a great show. It tells a story of Chin Yu entering the monastery and making his way through life to finally becoming the Abbott. There are many demonstrations of Kungfu and strength throughout the show. The costumes and the choreography are great.
Add: 44 Xing Fu Da Jie ( Xingfu Street ), Dongcheng District, Beijing 北京东城区幸福大街44号
Experience the nightlife of Beijing by watching Beijing Opera show dubbed as “Moulin Rouge in China”. Peking Opera has entertained Beijingers for over 200 years with its elaborate costumes, ear-splitting arias, dazzling martial arts and musical dialogue.
Beijing Opera Show
Beijing Opera is quite a cultural experience, completely different of the western opera. The ritual of the dressing, the make up and the masks are unique. The stories are interesting, they play several short performances with very different characters.
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