Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest Stadium)

The Beijing National Stadium (Chinese: 北京国家体育场; pinyin: Běijīng Guójiā Tǐyùchǎng), also known as the Bird's Nest Stadium, is a sports stadium located in the Chaoyang District of Beijing, China. The stadium was completed in 2008 and has a seating capacity of 91,000. It is the largest stadium in China and the sixth largest stadium in the world. It is also the world's largest stadium by capacity to have a synthetic turf field. The stadium was designed by the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, with Chinese firm Arup providing engineering and construction management. The Bird's Nest was built to serve as the main stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics. The stadium hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, athletics, football, and track and field events. The stadium is located at the Olympic Green, in the north-east of Beijing. The stadium cost US$428 million to build. The Bird's Nest was officially opened on 28 June 2008.