Capital Indoor Stadium: from "Ice Temple" to the "Most Beautiful Ice"

Located at Baishiqiao at the Haidian District of Beijing City, Capital Indoor Stadium came into operation in 1968. It is the stadium with the most functions and widest range of applications in Beijing. For over 50 years, it has witnessed the significant moments in the history of Chinese athletics.

For a long time, this was the only stadium which could accommodate indoor ice-sports competitions outside of the northeast regions of China. It hence received the name of "ice temple." During the Beijing Olympic Games of 2008, it was used as the venue for volleyball competitions. At the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, this old stadium will be used for the competitive programs of short-track speed skating and figure skating, which will generate 14 gold medals.

The Capital Indoor Stadium reconstruction and extension project was completed on December 25, 2020. At the same time, the Capital Ice Skating Arena, the Winter Olympics Event Center (Integrated Training Stadium), and the athletes dormitory also reached completion. The large-scale reconstruction turned this area into a significant venue for the integration of competition, training, and research for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. It will also have positive effects for the campaign to "mobilize 300 million people to participate in winter sports."

During the transformation, Capital Indoor Stadium built a 31 meters x 61 meters multifunction conversion standard ice rink. It adopted the most advanced carbon dioxide ice-making technology to meet the competition requirements for short-track speed skating and figure skating. In addition, it renovated the dehumidification and air supply systems and the spectator seats. The seats are arranged in a block form, adjusted leg room and seat spacing to guarantee the venue environment during competitions, and provide more comfortable experiences for audiences when they watch the games.

Capital Indoor Stadium adopted the latest sound and light technologies to create "the most beautiful ice." By using aluminum alloy frame structure at the rooftop and hanging 36 gridding films of 37 square meters each, the rooftop of the stadium formulated a giant projection screen of 1,332 square meters. At the same time, laser projectors are laid at the four corners of the stadium to project the magnificent lights and graceful frames onto the screen at the rooftop. When athletes are dancing on the ice surface, it will be as if they were in a dreamland. "The most beautiful ice" not only can provide dreamlike competition experiences during the figure skating and short-track speed skating programs at the Winter Olympic Games, but can also provide high-quality sports atmosphere and spectator visual guidance when the public participates in winter sports after the Games.

In particular, the demonstration event after the figure skating competitions end at each Winter Olympic Games (GALA/EX) has always been the most spectacular program attracting the most audiences at the Winter Olympic Games. It is not difficult to imagine when the "Beijing 2022 GALA" is being performed on "the most beautiful ice", what a magnificent scene it will be.

At the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, the Capital Indoor Stadium will be used for the competitive programs of short-track speed skating and figure skating, and China has advantages in both programs. In past Winter Olympic Games, the Chinese short-track speed skating team obtained over half of the gold medals and overall medals that Team China achieved. Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo, who won the gold medal for Team China for pairs figure skating at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, are now acting as Chairman of the Chinese Figure Skating Association and Head Coach of the Chinese Figure Skating Team respectively. Next year, they will lead their team members into the Capital Indoor Stadium.

The renovated Capital Indoor Stadium will not only guarantee the competition requirements of the Olympic Games, but will also be able to undertake high-level international and domestic ice-sports competitions. In addition, it can seamlessly switch from winter to summer programs. While carrying out professional training for athletes, it will also become a shared facility to popularize ice-sports to adolescents.

Contributed by Wang Dong, reporter of Guangming Daily

Translated by Zhang Junye