The National Stadium is a stadium located in Beijing, China. The stadium opened in 2008, features a capacity of 80,000 and is best known as the main venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. The stadium is also commonly referred to as the Bird’s Nest due to its distinctive exterior design. 

The stadium’s distinctive design is said to have been inspired by traditional Chinese ceramic art. The cross-hatch design which covers the exterior of the stadium was originally a functional idea intended to cover the support beams for a retractable that was part of the venues original design. Although the roof never materialised as part of the final plan, the design remained as the venues most recognisable aesthetic feature earning the stadium its nickname the Bird’s Nest.

The stadium is best known for having been the main venue of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. During the games the Bird’s Nest was the location of the opening and closing ceremonies, the athletics program and the men’s and women’s football finals.The stadium would also go on to host the 2022 Winter Olympics games making it the first venue to serve as the principal stadium for both the summer and winter editions of the games.

The scroll-like Olympic cauldron that was lit during the 2008 games was cleverly incorporated into the roof of the stadium and is still on display outside the stadium.

The stadium does not serve as the home ground for any sports team besides hosting occasional matches for the Chinese national football team. Visitors can enter the interior areas of the stadium for a small fee on a self-guided tour.

The stadium is located in the Chaoyang district of Beijing. The National Stadium is the main venue within the city’s Olympic Park which also contains many of the venues used at the 2008 games. Olympic Park and Olympic Sports Center stations service the area with both part of the Beijing Metro’s 8 and 15 lines.