As the nation ushered in the Year of the Rabbit, the National Aquatics Center in Beijing rolled out a series of interactive cultural activities and ice sports programs, offering a festive atmosphere for visitors.
Spring Festival fair
The Water Cube Spring Festival fair opened its doors to tourists from Jan. 23 to 27. The fair presented both delicious local delicacies and entertaining activities such as dominoes, jigsaw puzzles and DIY toys. Visitors could try Beijing's time-honored snacks and learn ancient Chinese bridge-building skills by making wooden arches.
People visit the Spring Festival fair at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing. [Photo courtesy of the National Aquatics Center]
Unlimited ice skating & festive photoshoots
The National Aquatics Center introduced multiple discounts for ice sports enthusiasts from Jan. 21 to 27, offering unlimited ice-skating services for tourists at the venue's Ice Sports Center during the designated time.
Spring Festival-themed photobooths are seen at the venue's Ice Sports Center. [Photo courtesy of the National Aquatics Center]
To improve the ice-skating experience, tourists could take pictures of themselves in front of the venue's Spring Festival-themed photobooths and share their photos via Sina Weibo.
Discounted combo tickets for Winter Olympic venues
On Jan. 18, the National Aquatics Center, the National Stadium and the National Speed Skating Oval jointly launched discounted combo tickets for visitors. Local citizens with year-long park passes can visit any of the three Winter Olympic venues.
Winter Olympic-themed camp
The venue's second Winter Olympic-themed camp concluded on Jan. 20. During the five-day camp, a total of 24 kids learned curling techniques, tried their hands at ice skating and dominos, and discovered fun facts about the Winter Olympic Games. The third and fourth camps are scheduled to kick off on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6, respectively.
People practice ice skating at the Ice Sports Center. [Photo courtesy of the National Aquatics Center]
Kids learn to play curling during the Winter Camp held at the National Aquatics Center in Beijing. [Photo courtesy of the National Aquatics Center]
Collecting commemorative coins
Visitors can purchase commemorative coins displaying the venue's architectural design and relevant cartoon images from a vending machine on the venue's south commercial street.
Taking home your New Year blessings
During the Spring Festival holiday, the National Aquatics Center prepared Spring Festival decorations containing curling elements and the Chinese character "Fu," which means "good fortune," for the first 2,023 visitors.
