Beijing Olympic Venues Ready as Bird's Nest Built

Chinese officials say the country's National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest," is complete and fully operational.

The 91,000-seat stadium will host the Beijing Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies as well as athletics events.

Tan Xiaochun, chief commander of the project, says the "The Bird's Nest is the last completed Olympic venue but the best".

"The length of welding lines of the steel structure reaches 320 kilometers, which is round-trip from Beijing to Tianjin. 1,100 welders have spent 27 months to accomplish the task. They have created a miracle in the history of architecture."

The venue is equipped with a solar power system on top of its ticket office and a collection system that processes 58,000 tonnes of rainfall annually for its irrigation and cleansing.

The Bird's Nest topped the architecture category for the 100 most influential designs in Time magazine earlier this year.

It will become a scenic spot after the Games.