Workers Stadium

The Workers' Stadium (Gongti) in Beijing stands on the same patch of earth it has occupied since 1959. Where the old running track once separated the stands from the pitch, the new build places the crowd closer to the game.

You can see the hybrid surface from the stands, a mix of natural grass and artificial fibres anchored into the ground. It is a dedicated football venue now, unlike the multi-purpose arena that hosted the 1990 Asian Games opening and closing ceremonies, or the 2008 Summer Olympics football matches, including the men's semi-final between Argentina and Brazil.

The 2004 AFC Asian Cup final took place here, a match that sparked fan riots after Japan beat China 3–1. That kind of tension sits in the history of the site, even if the new roof shields visitors from the Beijing wind. The official attendance record of 57,096 was set for a Chinese Super League match between Beijing Guoan and Guangzhou Evergrande on August 11, 2019, at the old ground before the final demolition. The new capacity sits at 68,000, though the number feels less important than the feeling of being inside the bowl.