The National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, will open to teachers free of charge on Teachers' Day which falls on Sept. 10.

All teachers will be taken on a free tour of the stadium upon providing ID certification at the gate, said an officer with the stadium's ticket office Wednesday.

The move aims to pay tribute to the teachers and provide a practical example of the traditional Chinese virtue of respect for teachers and education.

Located in the southern section of the Olympic Green in Beijing, the Bird's Nest was the main stadium for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Occupying 21 hectares, it has a floor space of 258,000 square meters and seating for 91,000 spectators.

It has grown into an iconic building and one of China's major tourist attractions since the Games.

(Xinhua News Agency September 9, 2009)