Olympic Forest Park

The 680-hectare Beijing Olympic Forest Park lies at the northern end of Beijing's famed 7.8-kilometre-long central axis that runs southward through the Olympic Green and the Forbidden City. As a "back garden" for the Beijing Olympic Games, it will be the venue for events such as tennis, archery and hockey, and will receive more than 40000 visitors per day during the Games. The park is divided into two parts, the north part and the south part, by the North Fifth Ring Road. The park's main mountain and main lake are two distinct features of the park. The 112-hectare main lake (Olympic Lake) has a water fountain modeled after the Olympic flame. The lake was built in the shape of a dragon, which in Chinese folklore is usually associated with water, symbolizing wealth and good luck. The mouth of the "dragon" surrounds the National Stadium, the main venue for the 2008 Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the Games' track and field events and football finals.