Bird's Nest Ski Resort
After transforming the runway into a world-class racetrack earlier this month, Badaling skiing and the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, will undergo its biggest transformation yet by the end of the year, becoming the largest ski resort in the urban area. On December 19th, the red running track and green grass inside the Bird's Nest venue will be completely covered by a vast expanse of snow. Carefully constructed features such as ski jumps, snow mountain stages, and icy forests will all make their debut at that time.
Yesterday (the 29th), the reporter learned from the National Stadium Co., Ltd. that on December 19th, the Bird's Nest will welcome its first Joyful Winter Sports Season. A total of 57,000 square meters of space, including the main venue and warm-up areas, will be transformed into a ski resort connecting both inside and outside the Bird's Nest venue. This will provide a winter sports fitness venue for domestic and international tourists and Beijing residents. In the afternoon yesterday, three snow-making machines placed at the center of the Bird's Nest continuously emitted white snowflakes, instantly covering the ground-level grass. On the nearby southern stands, workers were busy removing some seats and covering the removal area with a layer of waterproof cloth. According to Yang Cheng, Vice President of the National Stadium Co., Ltd., about 5,000 seats will be removed and replaced with a 6-degree inclined flying saucer slide. The slide is approximately 80 meters long and comes in wavy and snake-like shapes. "After purchasing tickets, visitors can directly slide down the slope using a snow ring into the venue," said Yang Cheng.
After sliding down, visitors will find themselves in a vast snow play area. The most attractive feature is a 20.08-meter-high snow mountain where visitors can enjoy snowball fights, build snowmen, and experience the fun of dog sled rides. "If visitors want more excitement, they can enter the thrilling free-skiing area directly via the northwest corridor," Yang Cheng introduced. The warm-up area, covering about 37,000 square meters, is mainly divided into a free-skiing area and a snowmobile area. The free-skiing area has a professional ski slope that is 10 meters high and 100 meters long. Visitors need to wear professional ski gear to enter and play. Snowmobiles require visitors to have basic skiing skills.
As the first winter entertainment project to land in the Bird's Nest, the Joyful Winter Sports Season will continue until February 20th next year. The opening hours are from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily, extended to 9:30 PM on weekends and holidays. The ticket price is 120 yuan per person on weekdays and 180 yuan per person on holidays, with children under 1.2 meters tall entering for free. To create the best playing experience, the Bird's Nest will officially start making snow for the venue starting December 10th, with an estimated water usage of about 30,000 tons. Unlike during the World Car King Challenge period, the tracks and grass inside the venue will be fully preserved. After covering them with a layer of bamboo glue board and waterproof layer, snowmaking will begin, with a snow depth of 40 centimeters. During the Joyful Winter Sports Season, staff will clean and replenish snow in the snow areas every night to ensure visitors see clean snow every day.
Considering the large number of visitors to the Olympic Park, the maximum number of visitors welcomed daily during the Joyful Winter Sports Season is 20,000 people, with a peak instantaneous flow of 5,000 people. Visitors can bring their own ski equipment or rent it on-site.
Wang Chun, the Standing Deputy Director of the Olympic Park Management Committee, stated that after the Beijing Olympics, the Bird's Nest has made positive attempts in hosting sports events and cultural performances and achieved success. In the future, there will be many more exciting activities launched for domestic and international tourists.