When the legendary Taiwanese rock band Mayday were due to perform in Beijing one evening in May 2023, some fans were worried that the rainy weather could affect the show. mayday were taking to the stage in Beijing’s National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, built for the 2008 Olympics. like the real-life twig piles that give the building its nickname, the stadium is built with an intricate and highly porous lattice, made of steel.
“Don’t worry too much,” reassured an article published by the official newsletter for China’s ministry of water resources. “The Bird’s Nest also has its ‘secret weapon’!”
The secret weapon is a network of capillary-like tubes that weave through the Bird’s Nest’s outer lattice, which are specifically designed to siphon away rainfall. The pipes channel rainwater into one of three underwater storage tanks, where it is filtered and prepared for recycling within the building. According to the water resources ministry, at least 50% of the stadium’s water needs – from flushing toilets to washing the running tracks to watering the lawns – can be met with the reused rainwater. In total, the water system surrounding the Bird’s Nest can treat 58,000 tonnes of rainwater each year.
the Bird’s Nest is one of the most pioneering examples of China’s focus on the practice known as “urban rainwater harvesting” (URWH), but it is indeed not the only one. All over China,major buildings are constructed with a focus on URWH.
Across the road from the Bird’s Nest, the National Aquatics Center is covered with a specially designed rainwater harvesting system that can collect approximately 10,000 tonnes of rainwater a year, equivalent to the amount used by 100 households.
China Looks to Ancient Rainwater Harvesting Techniques to Combat Drought
As China faces increasing water scarcity exacerbated by climate change and seasonal droughts, the nation is revisiting conventional rainwater harvesting methods used for millennia. Thes techniques, once integral to Chinese architecture and urban planning, are gaining renewed attention as a sustainable solution to manage water resources.
The Yangtze River, Asia’s longest river, experienced record low water levels in 2022, impacting hydropower generation, shipping, and agriculture. managing water flows has challenged chinese rulers for centuries, with historical records dating back to the Qin and Han dynasties documenting the construction of ponds for rainwater storage.
“China has a special affinity for rainwater,” explains Wang Dong, director general of the ecological city studio at Turenscape. Historically, traditional Chinese homes were designed with central courtyards and rooftops engineered to collect and divert rainwater into the home, symbolizing wealth and preventing water loss.
A wet evening in Shanghai. Photograph: Zoonar GmbH/Alamy
This ancient practice isn’t merely historical; modern architects and urban planners are integrating these principles into new developments. The focus is on creating sponge cities – urban areas designed to absorb and reuse rainwater, reducing strain on centralized water systems and mitigating flood risks. These initiatives aim to balance modern infrastructure with time-tested ecological wisdom.
