The stadium has a capacity of 20,000 people, and was constructed for the 2008 Summer Olympics. It is nicknamed the Fan (扇子, shànzi) due to its design resembling a traditional Chinese folding fan.
History
Interior of the stadium. (August 2008)
Glöckner³ designed the indoor stadium, in collaboration with the Beijing Institute of Architectural Design (BIAD), after winning an international architectural competition in October 2003. Construction work began in May 2005. The stadium opened its doors on November 26, 2007, for the artistic Gymnastics test event. It is also used for basketball.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics, it hosted the artistic gymnastics, trampolining, and handball events. After the Olympics, the stadium is used for sports competition, cultural and entertaining purposes, and serves as a multi-functional exercise center for local residents. In 2015 it hosted the ice hockey women's world championship Beijing 2015. The stadium was used for ice hockey during the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.