During last year's Beijing Olympics, the unforgettable opening and closing ceremonies of the Games were held at the National Stadium or "Bird's Nest".But since then bringing in enough cash to maintain the venue has been a problem.

The Bird's Nest was the focus of worldwide attention during the Olympics.Now, artificial snowmakers have transformed this symbol of the Beijing Games into a winter sports park, where visitors can enjoy winter activities such as skiing and snowboarding.

The cost of this winter wonderland in the northern suburbs of Beijing – and associated maintenance - is a cool 7 million dollars. But the admission of about 18 dollars - not a small amount for an average Beijinger - doesn't seem to have put off this local.

It was almost a year ago when the curtains came down on the Beijing Games. The stadiums are empty and there isn't a sports star in sight. But thousands of people from across China still flock here every day for their very own Olympic experience.

The Bird's Nest gets as many as 20,000 visitors a day. They pay the equivalent of about seven dollars to enter the empty stadium and buy souvenirs.

Outside, thousands of visitors from every corner of China snap photos and look on at what has become something of a national treasure.

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The Beijing International Marathon is now in its 29th year, and each year, the competition gets fiercer.

Thousands of runners set off from Tian'anmen Square early Sunday morning, winding their way through the streets of central Beijing to finish here at the Olympic Center Stadium, just across the street from the iconic Bird's Nest where so many athletes fought for Olympic glory last August.

Cool weather and overcast skies came together to create what the winning men's team described as "ideal running conditions."