It is estimated that operating costs for the stadium could total 150 million yuan a year, or 410,000 yuan per day.(Xinhua Photo)
By Song Shengxia
During a year of post-Olympic Games operations, China's iconic main venue, the so-called Bird's Nest, or National Stadium, never failed to generate controversy during its efforts to remain full.
While critics says that the 3.3-billion-yuan ($483 million) venue has become increasingly commercialized and divorced from the general public, some argue that going commercial could be a solution to stop it from becoming a white elephant.
The latest effort for the venue's post-games use is the launch of a two-month-long "Happy Snow and Ice Season" carnival, which started Saturday and is aimed at encouraging the general public to participate in skiing.
"We are facing a lot of pressure because everyone is watching us closely and every one of our moves will inevitably generate different voices," Shi Lei, the stadium's spokeswoman, told the Global Times Thursday.
With a cost of 30 million yuan, the new stadium-cum-ski resort is expected to attract between 2,000 and 5,000 visitors a day during the coming two months of winter.
Critics slammed the plan, saying the resort wastes a lot of water to make snow and strains Beijing's already decreasing water resources.
"We are exploring ways and have tried very hard to optimize the (stadium's) use," Shi said, adding the new ski resort actually uses recycled water to make sure it is both entertaining and environmentally friendly.
The ski resort, currently charging 70 yuan admission, targets amateur skiers and is meant to cater for the general public to optimize the stadium's social and cultural value, Shi said.
Do business or die
It is estimated that operating costs for the stadium could total 150 million yuan a year, or 410,000 yuan per day.
According to Yang Weiying, vice manager of the Stadium, it may take 30 years for the venue to recover its investment.
Revenue from visitor tours with 50-yuan entry fees has helped to recoup some investment, with visitor numbers peaking at 50,000 per day immediately following the Games, but has recently dwindled to several thousand a day.
Bejing resident Li Sumei told the Global Times the current admission prices are too costly and no one would spend 50 yuan to visit the venue again.
"Tourism is just one of the ways to promote the stadium's use. Diversified use of the venue is a must," Wu Fengming, an officer at the Haidian Sports Bureau in Beijing, said.
Since February, the stadium has focused on housing large commercial performances and sports events.
A range of events has taken place at the stadium since the Olympics, including an Italian football match, a concert by Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan, and an eight-day run of Zhang Yimou's production of the opera Turandot.
However, criticism of its "over-commercialization" continues.
In April, the stadium allowed visitors to fulfill their "champion dream" by be-ing photographed with a shanzhai (copycat) gold medal, holding a replica Olympic torch and wearing official Beijing Olympic sportswear at a cost of between 100 and 200 yuan. However, the program was accused of staining the Bird's Nest and Olympics brands.
In July, the sale of the naming rights for all 80,000 seats in the venue was unexpectedly halted by the auction sponsor, which gave the naming rights to a Taiwan fruit dealer directly.
The auction's cancellation was deemed a failure of the venue's commercial ventures.
Public-private partnership
Chen Jian, president of the Beijing Olympic Economy Research Association, attributed the controversy to the public's high expectations of the national landmark and their belief that com-mercialization would sully it.
"The Bird's Nest has been over mystified by the Chinese people. So any business effort might invite verbal attacks," he said.
Ren Hai, a professor at Beijing Sport University, said managing venues post-Games has never been easy in Olympic history.
"Operators must take a long-term view and combine commercial operation and public service," he said.
"We aim to help the Bird's Nest hatch ‘golden eggs,'" a specialist with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games was quoted by Xinhua as saying before the Games.
The National Stadium Operation Company was jointly set up by the Beijing CITIC Consortium and Beijing State-owned Assets Management to manage the venue and hold its exclusive management rights for 30 years, making it the first stadium in China under public-private partnership.
In August, in an effort to maximize the venue's social and cultural value, the Beijing municipal government decided to increase funding to the stadium and restructured the National Stadium Op-eration company, with the government holding 58 percent of stakes and CITIC Consortium holding 42 percent.
"Since August, we have begun pondering how to balance commercial operation and public service, and we are on the way to creating the best model to manage the venue," Shi said.
Guo Qiang and Liang Chen also contributed to this story
