Bank of China to sell Paralympic tickets starting August 15

(BEIJING, August 14) -- Starting August 15, BOCOG will begin selling and printing tickets for events of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in designated Bank of China locations in Beijing and Qingdao.

Since June 20, when public ticket sales for the Beijing Paralympic Games began, 50,000 tickets have been sold. For the convenience of consumers, the Beijing Olympic Ticketing Center has authorized an additional channel for ticket sales through Bank of China outlets. At present, 80,000 tickets for 205 events are available either online at www.tickets.beijing2008.cn or through designated Bank of China outlets.

This stage of ticket sales will initially involve 30 Bank of China sites in Beijing and two in Qingdao, with plans for additional sites to be added later. Between August 15 and September 17, interested persons, with valid identification, may visit Bank of China outlets during normal business hours to purchase tickets. Only cash or Visa cards will be accepted for payment.

At a Bank of China outlet, each individual may purchase at most 5 tickets each for two events at a time. Those that successfully purchase tickets via the official website must go to designated Bank of China locations in person with original identification documents and ticket account numbers to print out their tickets. Persons that require wheelchair tickets and accompanying seats must call the ticketing hotline at 010-84181461 to apply.

Please be aware that online ticket sales will end at 6:00 p.m. on September 14 and Bank of China outlets will stop selling Paralympic tickets on September 17. Detailed information about ticket pick-up for Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be announced at a later date. The Beijing Olympic Ticketing Call Center (010-952008) is available to provide information and answer questions only and is not responsible for ticket sales and cannot handle payment services.