Blue Heart Journey: Beijing Olympic Park

Our trip to Beijing would not be complete for Douglas without visiting the famed Olympic Park. It was exciting to be in the exact location where the 2008 Olympic Games were held. We went late Sunday afternoon on April 20^th. We managed to visit both the Water Cube and the Bird’s Nest before closing hours. We took the train there for 2 yuan (33 cents) and a taxi back home when we were done. Though the venue was not far from our hotel, it called for three train transfers on three very crowded trains. Neither one of us had any desire to battle that excursion of a train ride back to the hotel, even for a few cents.

The park was filled with hundreds of people, but it did not seem packed. There was always plenty of space to walk around and observe the sights without several tourists in the background of each photo. It was likely that way because we arrived only an hour before the main attractions at the park closed. If you are a sports fan, particularly of the Olympics, then it’s a must-see. Otherwise, you are not missing much by skipping this attraction. We spent just under two hours there and found that to be plenty of time to tour both facilities, browse around outside the venues, snag a few souvenirs, and get some good snapshots of the grounds.

The Water Cube

If you ever go to the Park, watch out for scalpers. Make sure you buy tickets from the kiosks, not people around them.

Inside the competition pool area. No water in the pools but still a wonderful sight.

This picture and the picture below are the warm-up pool located across the hall from the competition pools.

Beijing National Stadium, known as The Bird's Nest, is an absolute structural marvel. The steel is super thick and strong to combat seismic activity. It is amazing that it was built in only 4.5 years!