View source for Workers' Stadium (1959)

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Short description|Football stadium in Beijing}}
{{About|the demolished stadium|the current stadium that was opened in 2023|Workers' Stadium}}{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Workers' Stadium
| image = Workers stadium.JPG
| image_size = 
| image_upright = 
| image_alt = 
| caption = The stadium in 2008
| location = [[Chaoyang, Beijing]], China
| coordinates = {{coord|39|55|46.3|N|116|26|28.1|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| broke_ground = 
| opened = 1959
| renovated = 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010–2011
| closed = August 2020
| demolished = 2020
| owner = All-China Federation of Trade Unions
| operator = Sinobo Group
| surface = Grass
| construction_cost = 
| architect = Beijing Institute of Architectural Design<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 November 2022|title=北京建院主持设计"传统外观、现代场馆"|url=https://www.bdcn-media.com/a/18961.html|access-date=25 January 2023|website=bdcn-media.com|language=zh-hans}}</ref>
| structural engineer = [[Beijing Construction Engineering Group]]
| capacity = 65,094
<br />
| tenants = [[Beijing Guoan F.C.|Beijing Guoan]] (1996–2005, 2009–2019)<br />[[China national football team]] (until 2020)
| website = {{URL|https://www.gongti.com.cn|gongti.com.cn}}
| native_name = 
}}
[[File:Workers Stadium - satellite image (1967-09-20).jpg|thumb|Satellite image of Workers' Stadium in September 1967]]
[[File:Workers' Stadium.jpg|thumb|Inside the Workers' Stadium prior to the 2020–2022 renovation]]{{infobox Chinese
| s = 工人体育场
| t = 工人體育場
| p = Gōngrén Tǐyùchǎng
| order = st
| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|g|ong|1|r|en|2|-|t|i|3|yu|4|ch|ang|3}}
| w = Kūngrén T'ǐyǜch'ǎng
| myr = Gūngrén Tǐyùchǎng
}}
The original '''Workers' Stadium''' ({{zh|s=工人体育场|labels=no}}; often abbreviated as '''Gongti''' or {{zh|s=工体|labels=no}}) was a [[multi-purpose stadium]] in [[Chaoyang, Beijing|Chaoyang]], [[Beijing]], China. The stadium was built in 1959, and was renovated in 2004 (the concrete structure strengthened, a new rotating display screen and energy-saving devices installed). The stadium was demolished in 2020 and reopened under the same name on 15 April 2023 as a [[Workers' Stadium (2023)|new stadium]] built on the original site.<ref name="new1">{{cite web|url=https://www.newgongti.com/ |title=新工体官网 |trans-title=New Workers' Stadium Official Website}}</ref><ref name="arc1">{{cite web|url=https://www.archyde.com/beijing-new-gongti-officially-opened/  |archive-url=http://www.freezepage.com/1682792192ILRBCDDXWD?url=https://www.archyde.com/beijing-new-gongti-officially-opened/  |url-status=dead  |archive-date=2023-04-29  |title=BEIJING: NEW GONGTI OFFICIALLY OPENED}}</ref><ref name="ti1">{{cite web|url=http://www.titan24.com/publish/app/data/2023/04/11/474143/os_news.html |date=11 April 2023|title=2023年中超联赛赛程公布：4月15日开幕11月4日收官}}</ref> It had a capacity of 65,094 and covered a land area of {{convert|350,000|sqm}}. It was one of the [[Ten Great Buildings]] constructed in 1959 for the tenth anniversary of the [[China|People's Republic of China]].

==History==
[[File:1967-07 1967年4月20日北京市革命委员会成立工人体育场.jpg|thumb|right|Workers' Stadium during the [[Cultural Revolution]] in 1967]]
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 held at the stadium. In 1993, the stadium was host to a slew of [[world records]] set by the world-leading group of Chinese distance runners at the seventh edition of the Chinese National Games, the most famous being international stars and world champions [[Wang Junxia]] and [[Qu Yunxia]], who had dominated the 1993 World Championships a month before.

The stadium holds claim to the fastest women's [[1500 m]] time ever recorded of 3:50.46, the fastest women's [[3000 m]] of 8:06.11 and the fastest women's [[10,000 m]] of 29:31.78. These world records still stand today and are arguably the stadium's biggest claim to fame.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.sohu.com/20090719/n265320285.shtml|title=视频：新中国日记 传奇马家军的成名之战-搜狐视频|website=tv.sohu.com}}</ref> The next year, the stadium was partially demolished and renovated as part of China's bid for the [[2000 Summer Olympics]], which ultimately failed. The stadium continued to be the main Beijing sports into the 21st century, being the [[2001 Summer Universiade]] and the [[2004 AFC Asian Cup Final|Grand Final]] venue of [[2004 AFC Asian Cup]].

After Beijing became the host of the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in July 2001 which the stadium was originally intended as the Olympic Stadium,but after the [[Beijing National Stadium]] was built, the venue was relegated to a secondary roll.But, hosted the football quarter-finals and semi-finals, and the women's gold medal final. The stadium was scheduled to host the first ever [[National Football League|NFL]] game played in China, a preseason game between the [[Seattle Seahawks]] and the [[New England Patriots]] on 8 August 2007. However, the [[China Bowl (NFL)|China Bowl]] 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 28 October 2007.

The stadium was the host for the 2009 [[Barclays Asia Trophy]] between 29 and 31 July 2009, featuring [[Beijing Guoan]], and [[Premier League]] clubs [[Tottenham Hotspur]], [[West Ham United]] and [[Hull City A.F.C.|Hull City]]. It also hosted [[FC Bayern Munich]]'s pre-season China Tour of 2012, during which the [[Bundesliga]] club had a friendly match with [[Beijing Guoan]]. The areas north ([[Sanlitun]]), east, and west of the stadium are popular nightlife destinations. The ''xi men'' (West Gate) offers a strip of nightclubs. The [[Workers Indoor Arena]] is located to the west of the stadium. The stadium has been used for concerts as well. Global superstar [[Mariah Carey]] began her sold-out five-show Chinese tour at the Workers Stadium, and Linkin Park played [[The Hunting Party Tour]] at 26 July 2015 in front of an audience of 60,000.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.yibada.com/articles/49016/20150728/linkin-park-rocks-beijing-workers-stadium.htm|title=Linkin Park Rocks Beijing Workers' Stadium|first=Francis Eduard|last=Ang|date=28 July 2015|website=Yibada}}</ref>

[[File:Beijing Workers Stadium, August 19, 2008.jpg|thumb|right|Interior during the [[2008 Summer Olympics]]]]

==Demolition==
{{main|Workers' Stadium (2023)}}
On 4 January 2020, Workers' Stadium was announced as a host venue for the [[2023 AFC Asian Cup]].<ref>[https://dongqiudi.net/article/1311754.html AFC official website announces 2023 China Asian Cup stadium], dongqiudi.net, 4 January 2020</ref> However, on 14 May 2022, [[Asian Football Confederation|AFC]] announced that China would not be able to host the tournament due to the exceptional circumstances caused by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-afc.com/en/national/afc_asian_cup/news/important_update_on_afc_asian_cup_2023%E2%84%A2_hosts.html|title=Important update on AFC Asian Cup 2023™ hosts|website=Asian Football Confederation|date=14 May 2022|access-date=14 May 2022}}</ref>

After finishing the [[2019 Beijing Sinobo Guoan F.C. season|2019 season]], [[Beijing Guoan F.C.|Beijing Guoan]] moved its home stadium the [[Beijing Fengtai Stadium]] for three years while renovations ahead of the tournament took place.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2019/10/22/guoan-move-next-season-workers-stadium-gets-renovations|title=Guo'an to Move Next Season as Workers' Stadium Begins 3-Year Renovations|first=Joey|last=Knotts|website=The Beijinger|date=22 October 2020|access-date=18 September 2022}}</ref> The engineering firm of the rebuild project is [[Beijing Construction Engineering Group]].

[[File:GongTiDemolition.jpg|thumb|right|Demolished Workers' Stadium, August 2020]]

==Notable concerts==
* 6 August 1999: [[A-mei]] - Mei Li 99
* 13 October 2002: [[Glay]] - Glay One Love In Beijing, audience: 35,000
* 28 August 2004: [[Faye Wong]] - No Faye! No Live! Tour
* 23 September 2005: [[S.H.E]] - Fantasy Land world tour
* 22 October 2005: [[Rain (entertainer)|Rain]] - Rainy Day 2005 Tour
* 1 May 2008: [[Jay Chou]] - Jay Chou 2007 World Tour
* 16 September 2011: [[SMAP]] - We are SMAP! 2011 live in Beijing
* 17 May 2014:[[Dave Wang]] Dave Wang comeback World Tour
* 10 October 2014: [[Mariah Carey]] - [[The Elusive Chanteuse Show]], audience: 60,000
* 19 October 2014: [[YG Entertainment]] - [[Power World Tour]]
* 26 July 2015: [[Linkin Park]] - [[The Hunting Party Tour]]
* 14 July 2018: [[Joker Xue]] - Skyscraper World Tour

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Beijing Workers Stadium}}
*[https://www.newgongti.com/ Official website for New Workers' Stadium (New Gongti), since April 2023]
*[http://cafe.daum.net/stade/5BHp/25?docid=1DZEG%7C5BHp%7C25%7C20080322015314 Stadium pictures]
*[http://www.fussballtempel.net/afc/CHN.html Football stadia in China] {{in lang|de}}<!--German-->
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20121019223816/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/04/01/china/index.html Sports Illustrated Article, retrieved April 03, 2007 ]
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120207174056/http://www.btmbeijing.com/contents/en/btm/2006-04/feature/club/ The Chronicle of Gongti Ximen]}}, article about Gongti Ximen (Workers' Stadium West Gate), a nightlife area

{{s-start}}
{{s-sta|et}}
{{succession box
  | before = [[Visit Mallorca Stadium|Son Moix]]<br />[[Palma de Mallorca]]
  | title  = Summer [[Universiade]]<br />Main venue
  | years  = [[2001 Summer Universiade|2001]]
  | after  = [[Daegu Stadium|Daegu World Cup Stadium]]<br />[[Daegu]]
}}
{{succession box
| title=[[AFC Asian Cup]]<br />[[List of AFC Asian Cup finals|Final venue]]
| before=[[Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium]]<br />[[Beirut]]
| after=[[Gelora Bung Karno Stadium]]<br />[[Jakarta]]
| years=[[2004 AFC Asian Cup Final|2004]]
}}
{{succession box
| before = [[Karaiskakis Stadium]]<br />[[Piraeus]]
| title = [[Summer Olympic Games|Summer Olympics]]<br />[[Football at the Summer Olympics|Women's football]] gold medal match venue
| years = [[Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament#Gold medal match|2008]]
| after = [[Wembley Stadium]]<br />[[London]]
}}
{{end}}
{{Beijing Guoan F.C.}}
{{2008 Summer Olympics venues}}
{{Olympic venues football}}
{{Asian Games stadia}}
{{Buildings and Structures in Beijing}}
{{Chaoyang District, Beijing}}

[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1959]]
[[Category:Contemporary Chinese architecture]]
[[Category:Football venues in Beijing]]
[[Category:Athletics (track and field) venues in China]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Beijing]]
[[Category:Venues of the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Stadiums of the Asian Games]]
[[Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in China]]
[[Category:Beijing Guoan F.C.]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Chaoyang District, Beijing]]
[[Category:Venues of the 1990 Asian Games]]
[[Category:1959 establishments in China]]
[[Category:2020 disestablishments in China]]
[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in China]]