Source: CCTV.com

08-08-2007 14:05

Special Report:   2008 Beijing Olympics

The construction of new venues for China's first ever Olympics has been coming along very smoothly. One year before the start of the Games, Our reporter Mao Xuzhi takes us inside some of the major venues for a closer look.

The Bird's Nest is the centerpiece venue of the Beijing 2008 Olympics. This is the National Olympic stadium, and its nickname comes from the unique design. Sporting events such as the track and field competition, the final men's soccer games will be held here - as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.

The construction of the Bird's Nest started in December 2003. Now, Chinese workers and experts from overseas are installing membranes on the top.

A German engineer said, "We are installing the roof of the stadium. We're in the progress for the installation of our EFT product. We started 3 weeks ago. We are installing on the 2 sides at the moment."

The nearly 2,000 membranes come in diversified sizes and shapes.

"The smallest is half a square meter. The biggest is around 211 square meters," said the German engineer.

The Bird's Nest can hold over 90 thousand spectators. During the Games, athletes will compete for 47 gold medals. It will be unveiled in April 2008 in time for several sporting events called "Good Luck Beijing".

The construction of the National Olympic Gymnasium started in May 2005. Right now, the interior is being decorated. With an area of 3 thousand square meters, it can hold up to 20 thousand spectators. The National Olympic Gymnasium will be completed this October.

The Baseball Stadium and the Basketball Stadium are located in western Beijing. The Good Luck Beijing Baseball Competition will be held here on August 18th.

And the test games will be held at the Basketball Stadium next April.

 

Editor:Liu Fang