Where is the Winter Olympics 2022? City hosting Olympic Games, event venues and UK time difference - explained

This will be the second time in the last century that China has played host to an Olympic Games.

In 2008, Beijing hosted the Summer Olympics and athletes will now return to the capital for the Winter format of the Games. They now hold the unique position of being the first city to host both editions of the Games.

China is famously known for its cold, yet dry winters and this will be the first time that the Winter Olympics will have no real snow.

All of the snow will be artificial with the Games split up into three zones, or clusters: Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou. There is a newly constructed intercity railway which will transfer guests between all three venues within just an hour.

While Beijing will host both the opening and closing ceremonies, along with multiple events, there will be Olympic villages at Yanqing and Zhangjiakou where Winter Olympians will compete in their bid to secure a medal.

Here is all you need to know about the different time zones and venues at the Winter Olympics and which sports will be competing in each village.

What is the Chinese time difference?

Beijing time is eight hours ahead of Greenwich mean time. Midday in Britain will mean it is 8pm in Beijing.

Beijing Zone

The capital will play host to the ice sports of the Winter Olympics along with the two ceremonies.

The National Stadium

The stadium known as the ‘Bird’s Nest’ due to its unique design will host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

In 2008 the Stadium hosted the athletics competitions as well as the men’s football final. It will not show any sport this year but will be used for the Grand ceremonies bookending the Games.

National Aquatics Centre

The ‘Water Cube’ has been transformed into an ‘Ice Cube’ and will host the Curling competition for both the Winter Olympics and the Paralympic Winter Games.

Following the 2022 Games, this venue will be able to switch between Winter and Summer sports depending on the season.

National Indoor Stadium

The stadium which has been nicknamed ‘The Fan’ due to its resemblance to a traditional Chinese folding fan, will host the Ice Hockey and Para Ice Hockey.

It will share ice hockey duties with the Wukesong Sports Centre.

Wukesong Sports Centre

Wukesong hosted the basketball tournament in 2008 and will now serve as the main indoor venue for ice hockey at the 2022 Winter Olympics

National Speed Skating Oval

This Oval is the only new venue built on Beijing’s Olympic Green for the Winter Olympics. It was built on the site of the Olympic Green Hockey field and will host the speed skating competition at Beijing.

It has been given the nickname ‘The Ice Ribbon’.

Capital Indoor Stadium

For the Winter Olympics, the Capital Indoor Stadium will host the figure skating and short track speed skating competitions.

Built in 1968, the arena has hosted several notable sporting events, including the table tennis matches between China and the USA as part of the ping pong diplomacy exchange program in 1971.

Big Air Shougang

One of the most unique venues of the Beijing Olympics, the Big Air Shougang will host the freestyle skiing Big Air and the Snowboard Big Air.

It was built on a former steel mill site and is the world’s first permanent venue for Big Air.

Beijing Olympic Village

The village willhost around 2,300 athletes and officials travelling to the Olympics and following the completion of the Games will become public housing open for rent.

Yanqing Zone

Yanqing is situated around 75 km northwest of the Beijing city centre. It is a mountainous suburb of China’s capital and is filled with hot springs, national parks, ski resorts as well as the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China.

At the Winter Olympics, Yanqing will host the alpine skiing events as well as the bobsled, luge and skeleton

National Sliding centre

This is the first sliding track in China and only the third in Asia. It will host the Bobsleigh, skeleton and Luge.

National Alpine Ski Centre

The centre to host the Alpine skiing and Para Alpine skiing is situated in the Xiaohaituo Maintain Area in northwest Yanqing. It is made up of seven courses with the largest vertical drop reaching 900m.

Yanqing Olympic Village

The site is likely to accommodate around 1,430 athletes and officials. The construction of the village highlights the characteristics of Chinese culture with environmental protection.

Zhangjiakou zone

The popular ski destination is located approximately 180 km northwest of Beijing. Zhangjiakou’s venues will stage the majority of the  ski and snowboarding events.

National Biathlon Centre

The Biathlon, ParaBiathlon and Para Cross-country skiing events will all be hosted here.

National Ski jumping centre

This centre will stage the ski jumping competition and the ski jumping discipline in the Nordic combined competition.

It has been nicknamed the ‘Snow Ruyi’ due to its resemblance to a traditional ruyi sceptre (Chinese talisman).

National Cross-Country Centre

The New National Cross-Country Centre will play host to the cross-country and Nordic combined events .

Genting Snow Park

The already existing ski resort will stage the freestyle skiing and snowboarding events during Beijing 2022.

Park A will host the freestyle skiing while Park B will stage the snowboarding. There are six courses in total: halfpipe, slopestyle, ski/snowboard cross, parallel giant slalom, moguls and aerials.

Zhangjiakou Olympic village

This final zone is set to accommodate around 2,640 athletes and team officials during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic games.

The Opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics is on Friday 4 February 2022. Go to our article on how to watch the Games to find out more on how to keep up with all the events.

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