A woman holds an order form for the 2008 Olympic Games.The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad announces today that tickets for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are now open for ordering in Beijing, as from April 15, 2007. (Xinhua Photo/Li Ying) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- More than 50,000 people have placed orders over the Internet since the seven million tickets for the 2008 Olympic Games were put on sale Sunday, organizers said.

    "By Monday noon, more than 50,000 people have placed orders for about 250,000 tickets through our official ticketing website (www.tickets.beijing2008.cn)," Rong Jun, head of the Olympic Ticketing Center, told Xinhua.

    In a country with a population of 1.3 billion, many believe that only the luckiest have chance of watching the Games, though three-quarters of tickets will be reserved for domestic sales.

    "My wife and I want to buy two tickets to the opening ceremony, but we think the chance is almost zero," said Hao Zhiping, a retired government official.

    In contrast to the overwhelming purchasing enthusiasm on the internet, however, the 1,000 designated Bank of China branches received much less orders.

    "A lot of people came to consult us on how to buy Olympic tickets, but only a few have placed orders," said a manager at the Pinganli branch of BOC.

    In the first phase of ticket sales, people can wait until June 30 to place their orders and tickets will be assigned between July and August. For oversubscribed events, a random computerized selection process will be used.

    The second leg of domestic sales will kick off in October and run through December.

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2008 Beijing Olympics tickets go on sale

    BEIJING, April 16 -- More than seven million very affordable tickets are now on sale for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) announced Sunday. About 75% of the tickets will be sold domestically and the rest will be available to the overseas public.

     Late last year, BOCOG announced that ticket prices for the Games will be in keeping with its efforts to host Games accessible to the broadest spectrum of people.Full story 

China puts 7 mln Olympic tickets on sale

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) Executive Vice President and Secretary General Wang Wei(C) speaks at a news conference, April 15, 2007. The BOCOG announces that tickets for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are now open for ordering in Beijing, as from April 15, 2007.(Xinhua Photo/Luo Xiaoguang) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese nationals and foreigners living in China can now book the more than seven million tickets available for the 2008 Olympic Games, organizers said on Sunday.

    Orders can be processed on the website (www.tickets.beijing2008.cn) and at 1,000 designated Bank of China branches, but tickets will not be delivered until June 2008. Full story