Wukesong Arena

The Wukesong Arena (simplified Chinese: 五棵松体育馆; traditional Chinese: 五棵松體育館; pinyin: Wǔkēsōng Tǐyùguǎn), also known as the Cadillac Arena (simplified Chinese: 凯迪拉克中心; traditional Chinese: 凱迪拉克中心; pinyin: Kǎidílākè Zhōngxīn) for sponsorship purposes, is a large indoor arena located in Beijing. It was built especially for the 2008 Summer Olympics, where it hosted important basketball games.

Construction began on 29 March 2005 and finished on 11 January 2008. The arena can hold up to 19,000 people and covers an area of 63,000 square metres. In November 2016, a modern ice hockey rink was added, made by a company from Finland called Vepe Oy.

Wukesong Arena played a big role during the 2022 Winter Olympics, serving as the main place for the ice hockey events. It is a versatile venue used for many different sports and entertainment activities.

History

The Wukesong Arena was built for the 2008 Summer Olympics basketball events. Construction started on March 29, 2005, and finished on January 11, 2008. After the Olympics, it became a key spot in Beijing for cultural, sports, and leisure activities, combining large gardens and green spaces with many purposes.

Over the years, the arena has had several names. In 2011, it was called the MasterCard Center. Then, in 2016, it became the LeSports Center. Later, it was briefly named Huaxi Live before becoming the Cadillac Arena in 2017, thanks to General Motors. The arena has hosted many exciting events, including the first hockey game for the Kunlun Red Star team in the Kontinental Hockey League and a big basketball game in 2017.

Sporting events

The Wukesong Arena was built to host basketball games during the 2008 Summer Olympics. Since then, it has been used for many different sports events and entertainment shows. The arena can hold thousands of people and is a popular place for athletes and fans to gather for exciting competitions.

Entertainment

The Wukesong Arena is the largest entertainment venue in Beijing, hosting performances by many international, regional, and local artists. It features a wide range of musical genres and also includes non-concert entertainment events. International artists are highlighted in light blue in the table below.

Baseball field

The Wukesong Baseball Field was located next to the Wukesong Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. It was one of the temporary venues used during the 2008 Summer Olympics for baseball events. The field could hold up to 15,000 people and had two competition fields and one training field.

In March 2008, it hosted games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres as part of the MLB China Series, the first time Major League Baseball teams played in China. After the Olympics, the area was turned into a shopping mall named Bloomage LIVE · HI-UP.