Olympic Park

For serial sports nuts, or if you just want a close encounter with the iconic ‘Bird’s Nest’ Stadium, it’s possible to spend a few hours wandering around Beijing’s Olympic area, which, unlike other host cities, is surprisingly centrally located. It’s a bit of a ghost town as you might imagine, but you can pay to peek inside the National Stadium, which hosts occasional events and themed attractions. Currently, the Water Cube next door has been turned into a waterslide theme park. When I pick up friends and family from the airport, I usually tell the taxi driver to take us to the hotel via the niao chao (Bird’s Nest). Snatching a quick peek from the north fourth ring road is enough for most people.