Workers Stadium

The Workers Stadium (zh-stp|s=linktext|工|人|体|育|场|t=linktext|工|人|體|育|場|p=Gōngrén Tǐyùcháng), often called Gongti or Gong Ti, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Chaoyang District of north-eastern Beijing, China. It is mostly used for football (soccer) matches. The stadium was built in 1959 and it was last renovated in 2004. It currently has a capacity of 70,161. It is one of the Ten Great Buildings constructed in 1959 for the 10th anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

The stadium was the main venue for the 1990 Asian Games, where the opening and closing ceremonies were held. Some high attendance matches of the Beijing Guo'an Football Club are also held at the stadium.

For the 2008 Summer Olympics it hosted the football quarter-finals and semi-finals, and the women's gold medal final.

The stadium was scheduled to host the first ever NFL game played in China, the aptly-named China Bowl, a preseason game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots on August 8, 2007. However, the game was canceled in April 2007. The reasons given were that the NFL wanted to devote all its resources to the scheduled regular season game between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants to be played in London on October 28 2007. The game will now be played in August 2009. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/04/01/china/index.html]

The areas north and east of the stadium are popular nightlife destinations. The Workers Indoor Arena is nearby to the west.

External links

* [http://www.fussballtempel.net/afc/CHN.html Football stadiums in China] Languageicon|de|German
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/04/01/china/index.html Sports Illustrated Article, retrieved April 03, 2007 ]
* [http://www.btmbeijing.com/contents/en/btm/2006-04/feature/club The Chronicle of Gongti Ximen] , article about nightlife area
* [http://www.chinasportstour.com Football Tours in China] succession box
title=AFC Asian Cup
Final Venue
before="Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium"
"Beirut"
after="Bung Karno Stadium" "Jakarta"
years=2004