Bird's Nest turns into a ski resort

On November 29, part of the lawn in the Bird's Nest was covered by snow, which was produced by a snow maker newly imported from the U.S. On the same day, the operator of the National Stadium announced plans to hold the first "Happy Snow and Ice Season" at the Bird's Nest. Between December 19 2009 and February 20 2010, a 57,000 square-meter field covering the main activity center and a warming-up area in the Bird's Nest will be covered by 40cm of snow, forming the largest skiing and snow games center in Beijing's urban area.

Bird's Nest turns into a ski resort

"We have introduced eight new-type snow makers and staff members have been trained and have practiced operating the machines for a month at the Beijing Huaibei International Ski Resort. Large-scale snow making work will start after December 10," said an operator for the “Happy Snow and Ice Season" at the Bird's Nest.

At present, 5,000 seats in the southern audience area in the Bird’s Nest arena have been removed and staff members are installing water-proof facilities covering the ground. The area will be transformed into a ski slope with a six degree angle, which will be 80 meters long and 80 meters wide. Tourists will sit on snow circles on the slope to enter the snow center at the Bird's Nest.

"There are different kinds of tracks on the slope, including a snake-shape curve track and an inflatable passage especially for children. The main activities in the arena are "snow games"suitable to people of all ages. No special skiing skills are required." Yang Cheng, deputy general manager of the National Stadium Corporation Ltd, said that the 10 meter-high and 100 meter-long ski slope in the warm-up area is relatively more suitable for skiers.

It is estimated that about 20,000 tons of water is needed to form the snow center covering the main activity center and the warm-up area in the Bird’s Nest. The center will be cleaned and snow will be added every day after tourists leave. Yang said, "10,000 to 15,000 tourists are expected a day, which is almost equivalent to the number of current tourists."

"We have adopted and installed a lot of technologies and facilities to guarantee the safety of the facilities at the Bird's Nest, including placing a water-proof floor cover in the audience area. The lawn in the Bird's Nest will not be removed as snow does not have a big affect on it." Yang said that tourists can bring their own skiing equipment, but must still undergo the current Olympic venue security check.

According to the organizer, the first "Happy Snow and Ice Season" at the Bird's Nest was organized after researching the winter operation of foreign venues including the Frankfurt Stadium. It is another innovative post-Olympic use of the Bird's Nest after holding the "Italian Super Cup," the large-scale landscape opera "Turandot," the Race of Champions and other performances and competitions there.