Viewpoints in Beijing

The CCTV Headquarters is a 234-meter architectural icon designed by Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren, featuring a gravity-defying loop form that has become one of the defining images of 21st-century Beijing. Locals affectionately call it the 'Big Underpants.'

The National Aquatics Center, known as the Water Cube, is a shimmering cube of translucent blue bubbles that hosted swimming events at the 2008 Olympics. Part of the building has been converted into a vibrant indoor water park.

The National Stadium, known as the Bird's Nest, is the iconic centerpiece of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron with artist Ai Weiwei as consultant, its interlocking steel lattice structure evokes a massive nest.