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A 12-square-kilometer (4.6-square-mile) Olympic park is the centerpiece
of an ambitious construction program Beijing has vowed to undertake
if its bid to host the 2008 Games is successful.
The park will be located in the northern suburbs of Beijing, eight
kilometers from the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square which mark
the center of the capital, and within relatively easy reach from
the international airport.
China has invited local and foreign architects to suggest ideas
for a stadium that will form the center of the park and will be
able to hold 80,000 people.
Dozens of architects have already reacted, submitting sketches
of the planned stadium to the Chinese Olympic Committee.
The park will contain extensive green areas and a number of artificial
lakes, in an apparent attempt to emphasize the environmental mindset
of the Chinese authorities.
It will have five gymnasiums, an Olympic village, several hotels,
an exhibition park and media and business centers.
The main stadium is the intended venue of the opening and closing
ceremonies of the Games as well as major athletics events.
Other Olympic competitions expected to take place inside the park
include swimming, gymnastics, table tennis, hockey, fencing, tennis,
wrestling, handball and badminton.
The planned Olympic park is separated by Beijing's fourth ring
road from the national Olympic center which was constructed for
the Asian Games in 1990 and would provide training facilities for
the athletes in 2008.
The other Olympic disciplines will be located to various locations
in western Beijing where the facilities will either be renovated
or built from scratch.
Shooting and archery will be held at the Beijing Shooting and Archery
Center, cycling at the Laoshan stadium, baseball at Fengtai, and
basketball at a planned stadium at Wukesong.
Tsinghua University will house weight lifting competitions, while
taekwondo and judo will take place at the Beijing Teachers College
of Physical Education.
Canoe/kayak, rowing and equestrian will take place further north,
not far from the Great Wall.
The soccer finals as well as the boxing matches will be located
at the Workers' Stadium.
The initial soccer matches will take place in a range of Chinese
cities, including Shanghai in the east, Shenyang in the northeast,
as well as Qinhuangdao and Tianjin in the north.
The sailing competitions will be located in the large port city
of Qingdao on the east coast of China.
For triathlon, Beijing has proposed having part of the Marathon
pass around Tiananmen Square, which has also been suggested as a
venue for beach volleyball.
(Eastday 02/20/01)
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