Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium repurposed as winter resort

Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium has been reimagined as a winter sports resort.

The stadium has a capacity of 68,000 and serves as the home of football club Beijing Guoan. With the new Chinese Super League season not due to start until next month, the stadium has been repurposed to host snow and ice activities for the public.

The resort covers an area of around 20,000 square metres, with nearly 20 activities on offer for guests to sample. The resort will remain in place until February.

Wang Zhen, chairman of Beijing Yousenmeichi Exhibition Service Co., told Chinese news agency Xinhua: “The north square and centre court of the newly renovated Beijing Workers’ Stadium, with a total area of around 20,000 square metres, have been equipped with snowmaking and entertainment facilities.

“We put forward nearly 20 ice and snow events here, including snowmobiles and snow karting. There are also featured designs such as big rabbit and bear models in the wonderland. To improve the visiting experience of tourists, we also arranged food and cultural creation areas.

“We welcome the new year, the upcoming Chinese Spring Festival, and the Year of the Snake with celebration activities.”

The Workers’ Stadium reopened in March 2023 after undergoing a major renovation project. Prior to its renovation, it served as the main venue during the 1990 Asian Games and also hosted football matches during the 2008 Olympic Games.

The revamped venue is designed to serve as a year-round destination capable of hosting sport and entertainment events. The renovation project saw the stadium’s running track removed, while an underground plaza was added for fans.

Li Dandan, director of the stadium’s major events department, added: “For the stadium, we try to maximise the comprehensive utilisation of the large venue. In addition to the football matches and shows, we also actively cooperated with partners from other fields, including sports, culture, art, consumption and innovation. We are willing to invite more high-quality content to the venue.

“The ice and snow wonderland at the Beijing Workers’ Stadium this year follows the government’s guidance to accelerate the development of winter sports. We tried our best to meet the demand of the public for ice and snow events, so we hope the Workers’ Stadium can become a popular, vibrant and fashionable resort in winter.”

The Workers’ Stadium was built in 1959 and served as one of the ‘Ten Great Buildings’ constructed in Beijing to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Communist China.