Winter Olympic Games Beijing 2022 Venues

[hckošice 16,613]

5 minutes ago, dcro said:

One only wonders if there will be any snow (just like for any other venue this Olympics).

Certainly more than under the palm trees in Sochi

 

[opruh 129]

11 hours ago, dcro said:

One only wonders if there will be any snow (just like for any other venue this Olympics).

I few days ago, Beijing got blanketed with heavy snow and it's not winter yet. But yes we have to wonder if there's going to be any snow in these venues.

[orangeman 2,876]

I live very close to the Shougang Big Air venue here in Beijing.  I visited it a couple of weeks ago.  It's in a park created from a reclaimed industrial area.  There's a nice brew-pub there I went to a few times without realizing an actual venue was right there.  It's an Olympic park with various Olympic offices and broadcasting centers.  It's quite nice, but I wonder how it'll read on TV.  As others have seen from the stock photos here, it is still quite industrial looking with what looks like nuclear reactors right next to the hill.  It's cool post-industrial in person, but we'll see how it comes off on TV.  There's a nice Chinese building in front of it, too.  I'm not sure what it is, if it's related to the venue.  I couldn't get too close because things are still under construction, covid and general Chinese security.  

 

 

 

 

[orangeman 2,876]

[orangeman 2,876]

[orangeman 2,876]

[orangeman 2,876]

[orangeman 2,876]

[orangeman 2,876]

[orangeman 2,876]

The Ice Cube (formerly Water Cube) where curling will take place will only be at 20% capacity, or 1000 spectators. 

 https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/beijings-ice-cube-capacity-capped-20-covid-19-measure-2021-11-11/

 

We can expect the rest of the indoor venues to be the same, I guess. Having lived in Beijing during Covid this doesn't make much sense to me because everything here is usually business as usual, except with masks and health code.  I don't know why for the Olympics in particular we suddenly have to reduce capacity.  It's disappointing because, as with everything in China, it was already going to be hard to get tickets because everything is always snatched up by large companies right away and you basically have to be a local to understand how to get them (i.e. air, train and sporting events).  Now we know it'll be impossible.  Very disappointing because a big part of the reason I stayed here this year was for the Olympics. Now we're sure we won't be able to attend, and there will be no atmosphere, we'll just watch at home like I could have done anywhere.  I live so close to most of the Beijing venues, I had dreams of scootering over to catch a hockey game before hopping to catch some speed skating.  Very sad now.  

 

Having said that, Beijing is experiencing a "mild" outbreak again so things are getting crazy.  Probably due to the Olympics, a new policy is going into effect tomorrow where you cannot enter Beijing if you've been anywhere that has even 1 case in the last 14 days.  You also cannot go to any city with a land border or a port (i.e. Shanghai or Guangzhou).  So basically we are locked into Beijing until after the Olympics at least.  Now I know how the residents of Tokyo felt.  You suffer due to hosting, but you get nothing in return.  Even as a huge Olympic fan, it stings.  It probably stings more as a fan.