You don't have to go to Dongbei to enjoy skiing and snowboarding this winter. Check out Beijing's snow sports options.

As every football fan knows, FC Barcelona were in town over the weekend to play a friendly against Beijing Guo’an at the Bird’s Nest National Stadium, to mark the second anniversary of the opening of the Beijing Olympics. Modern Lei Feng has done a short post about the match, as well as posting some snaps on Flickr.

The question of what to do with expensive Olympic infrastructure after the games has plagued every host city. The financial tribulations of the Bird's Nest are well-known, and administrators of the site have tried a variety of strategies to lure more visitors, including recently announced plans to open an Olympic-themed restaurant inside the stadium. Similarly, the surrounding Olympic Park has played host to a variety of events since August 2008. Now, in a move that promises to set a new low in China's already impressive array of terrible theme parks, authorities have announced plans to open a “Green Dream Park” to the northeast of the National Stadium.

The latest installment in the ongoing quest to cover the exorbitant costs of the Bird’s Nest’s upkeep will see a new 4,500-sqm restaurant open this month on the third floor of the stadium, according to China Daily. It is still unclear whether diners will need to pay the RMB 50 stadium admission to get into the new establishment.

Another outdoor ice rink has been added to Beijing’s ever-growing collection of winter playgrounds. Conveniently located at Workers' Stadium East Gate, the 1,248 sq meter open air facility is open daily until 10pm.