CRI听力：Olympic Park Open to Public Free of Charge

The Beijing Olympic Park, also known as the Olympic Green, opened to public free of charge on Oct. 10. In the first following weekend, the park saw a sharp increase in the number of visitors hoping to get an inside look at the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube.

Our reporter Liu Min has the story.

Reporter: (Www.hxen.net)

This is the Olympic Branch Line of the Beijing Subway and the train is crowded. Since the Olympic Park opened to the public last Friday, the subway line has carried nearly one million visitors to the Beijing Olympic area.

Many domestic and foreign visitors came to the park during the weekend to enjoy the striking architecture. Mr. Zhang and his girlfriend made a special trip to the park from Zhengzhou.

Act 3, Zhang, Male, Chinese) "I have expected the trip to the Olympic Green for a long time. I planned to visit here during the National Day Holiday. But I didn't, because of the huge crowds of people during that period, so I came here this weekend."

The influx of tourists has put pressure on park administrators. Liu Jianqiang is head of the park's patrol squad.

"We estimate that 300,000 to 400,000 tourists visited the park every day. Our main task was to maintain the order and create a better environment for people coming by. However, the great number of visitors as well as the vast size of the Olympic Green makes the work difficult."

The sharp increase in tourists over the weekend also strained the environment and facilities of the park. A tourist from Shanghai complained about the sight he encountered inside the Bird's Nest.

Act 5, Mr. Tang, male, Chinese) "The stadium was messy and untidy. Some facilities were destroyed, and many people had walked on the lawn and roughed it up."

Finding a toilet within the park was no easy job for visitors, either. One toilet near the subway exit had a queue about 50 meters long.

"Is it the only toilet nearby? I think the park should have more toilets. It is a waste of time to get in line for this toilet. A lot of people are queuing ahead of me and the line moves slowly."

In spite of the minor problems, visitors to the park were by no means disappointed.

After her visit to the Olympic Green, a tourist from Nanjing gave a tip for future tourists: Don't forget to fully charge your digital camera.

The Olympic Green is a precious remnant of the Beijing Olympiad. Now, everyone has a chance to experience Olympic culture and learn about the Olympic spirit, free of charge.

For China Drive, I'm Liu Min.