Construction begins on 2023 Asian Cup venue in Xi'an

Construction on Xi'an International Football Center began on Aug 13 in Fengdong New City, Xixian New Area in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province.

The new stadium will serve as a professional football venue when Xi'an hosts the 2023 Asian Cup and will be able to accommodate 60,000 fans.

On Dec 28, Xi'an was picked as a site for the Asian Cup in 2023, along with Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Dalian, Qingdao, Xiamen and Suzhou, according to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and Chinese Football Association.

The project is 18 kilometers away from Xi'an Xianyang International Airport and 18 kilometers from Xi'an North Railway Station.

Covering an area of 280 mu (18.67 hectares), Xi'an International Football Center includes two standard outdoor training fields.

It was designed following the international stadium construction standards by Zaha Hadid Architects, an internationally renowned institution that also designed Beijing Daxing International Airport.