Most of the Beijing-based venues now lie in the Olympic Green area, along the striped line between the North Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads, where there are few cultural relics.

An environmental report (from 2001 to 2006) revealed by Yu explains the requirements for the protection of the relics in the course of the construction projects. Three cultural structures, including several Buddhist and Taoist temples (e.g., Mituo Temple, Longwang Temple) and 19 stone inscriptions in around the Olympic Green have been left untouched during construction.

Even the well-known "water cube" -- the National Aquatics Center -- had to give way to an ancient cultural relic -- the site of the Beiding Niangniang Temple. The builders chose a final construction site 100 meters north of the temple.

In addition, Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage formulated and implemented a specific program to save potential underground relics in the construction areas. Since 2004, the local institute for cultural property has conducted thorough archaeological surveys and excavations at the site of some Olympic venues and affiliated projects. In the process it has unearthed rare artifacts such as gold accouterments and jade belts -- items that will be of great value for academic study.

From 2000 to 2006, the Beijing municipal government had launched a large-scale campaign to preserve 330 million pieces of cultural relics in the Olympic city. Among others, the imperial shrines, the Peking man site and the Confucius temple were saved.