First Olympic Expo opens at Beijing Exhibition Center

Opening of the expo

(BEIJING, August 8) -- The Beijing 2008 Expo with the theme "Light the Passion, Share the Dream" opened on Friday, August 8, at the Beijing Expo Center.

The expo collection contains memorabilia like postage stamps, money, pins and works of art from past Olympic Games, including some never before seen artifacts from the Olympic Museum in Switzerland. Among the more than 1,100 Olympic postage stamps received from 23 different countries is a historic stamp from the 1896 Athens Olympics.

Souvenir stamps to mark the opening of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Expo

Expo souvenirs

To widen the appeal of the expo, the Beijing Exhibition Center will be promoting five special activity days: Press Day, Youth Day, Postal Service Day, Volunteer Day and Olympic Culture day.

Present at the Expo opening were International Olympic Committee President, Jacques Rogge, BOCOG President Liu Qi, IOC honorary president Juan Antonio Samaranch, Deputy Mayor of Beijing Cai Fuchao and IOC member Hein Verbruggen.

(Photo credit: Li Han)