A model presents a cap made from chocolate at the "World Chocolate Wonderland" inside the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, in Beijing January 28, 2010.
Tourists will be able to enjoy the world's biggest chocolate show Friday near the National Stadium, or the Bird's Nest, as Beijing is transforming the Olympic venue to a creative and cultural center.
The 20,000-square-meter "World Chocolate Wonderland" with five indoor areas and two outdoor sites inside the Beijing Olympic Green will showcase nearly more than 1,000 handicrafts of chocolate and candy, including replicas of 560 terra cotta warriors and a 10-meter Great Wall, said Zheng Yaoting, who runs the show.
People could make their own chocolate artifacts with the help of professionals, she said.
Costing more than $10 million, the show consumed 80 tonnes of chocolate. The park will last until April 10 when the weather will begin to get warm.
The chocolate theme park is part of Beijing's efforts to utilize the Olympic venues after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, said Ma Yinghui, deputy director of Chaoyang District Tourism Bureau.
As one of Beijing's most favored tourist destinations, the Olympic Green received 2.56 million tourists during the week-long National Holiday in 2009, according the official website of the Olympic Green.
Beijing is bringing in new elements to the Olympic venues to prevent them from running down as people will turn their eyes to the approaching London Olympics, Ma said.
The Bird's Nest introduced the snowy winter wonderland between December and February this year. The National Aquatics Center, or Water Cube, was closed in October last year for renovations until mid 2010 when the center would be open to international competitions as well as aquatic sports for fitness, recreation and travel visits.
"I'm happy to be among those who lead the trend," Zheng said. "We try to bridge the East and the West by integrating chocolate with China's cultural characteristics."
