Stadiums Built Over Ancient Ruins and Historic Landmarks

21. Beijing Workers' Stadium – Beijing, China

Beijing Workers' Stadium has hosted decades of sporting and political events since it first opened in 1959, standing as a testament to modern China's emergence on the global stage. But beneath its concrete and steel lies a surprising link to the Mongol Empire at its height. During recent renovations, archaeological teams discovered traces of the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), a period when Beijing—then called Khanbaliq—was the capital of the Mongol Empire under Kublai Khan. Excavators uncovered the remains of brick kilns, pottery workshops, and discarded shards of colorful glazed tiles, many of which were likely used to decorate nearby imperial buildings and temples. These artisan centers were part of a larger network that supplied construction materials for Beijing’s ancient palaces. The Workers' Stadium area may have once buzzed with craftsmen, artisans, and imperial laborers shaping decorative ceramics for Mongol emperors. Today’s stadium-goers sit above the remnants of an imperial artisan district, reminding us that beneath the rhythms of football lies the quiet hum of a forgotten dynasty. Built Over: Yuan Dynasty brick kilns and artisan workshops.