Beijing’s Olympic Park, also known as the Olympic Green, is anchored by the Bird’s Nest, the steel-latticed National Stadium built for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron with artist Ai Weiwei among its collaborators, it hosted the opening ceremony, when gymnast Li Ning lit the Olympic cauldron. Its woven exterior remains one of the city’s most recognisable pieces of modern architecture.
The vast stadium bowl gives a sense of the scale of the Games, though its exposed structure and concrete concourses can feel more industrial than intimate. Across the park, the blue Water Cube was adapted as the Ice Cube for curling at the 2022 Winter Olympics. The broad Olympic Green also extends Beijing’s central north–south axis, linking the city’s imperial geography with its modern sporting landmarks.
Come in the evening to see the venues illuminated and join locals strolling through the plaza, or arrive early for quieter photographs. The grounds are free to explore, but stadium and Water Cube visits require separate tickets; check official opening times and book ahead, especially on holidays, as events can affect access. Olympic Green station on metro Lines 8 and 15 is convenient for the park; allow time for security checks and bring identification.