To host the 2008 Summer Olympics, China constructed 12 new venues as well as eight temporary ones. Although Beijing received international accolades for its new architectural icons, many venues fell in disrepair after the games as there were no plans for future use.
The largest venue, Beijing's Olympic Stadium, known as 'Bird's nest' costed $471 million to be built which might take China 30 years to pay off. Even though there are plans for it to be used for the 2022 Winter Olympics, again hosted in Beijing, it hasn't been used much since the Olympics. Meanwhile, the Water Cube, as Beijing National Aquatics Center was nicknamed, lost about $1 million in 2011 even after public financial assistance and the addition of a water park.
At the same time, many other venues, like those for kayaking, beach volleyball, BMX, and baseball have been sitting untouched since 2008. In photos, taken the years after the Games, signage and landscaping appear to have gone without maintenance since the closing ceremonies.
Beijing followed in the footsteps of other Olympic cities like Athens and Sochi where sport venues have remained abandoned following the games due to lack of planning.
SEE ALSO: More abandoned Olympic venues around the world // More abandoned sport facilities // More abandoned places in China // LIST OF ALL DESERTED PLACES
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In 10 years there will be a post named "Rio's abandoned Olympic venues".
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