Launching Your Olympics Journey

Ticket reservation should be your first concern in watching the Olympic Games. The official ticketing website of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad is now online. You may select your favorite games and plan your watching schedule. If you are our foreign friends, you might want to find out more about Visa Application etc in our Friendly Reminder which contain a summary of important reference information.

It must be a great concern for you to choose and book a good hotel prior to your arrival to watch the Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing. It is important to have a warm bath and a comfortable sleep to recover from the tiring trips to the games or the scenic spots. Therefore, don't forget to book your lodging after buying the tickets. Lodging in Beijing is our link to Beijing Tourism Administration website which provides lodging information on various classes of hotels in Beijing.

When you arrive in Beijing, you will notice the smile on the face of the volunteers for the Spectator Services everywhere! In the arrival hall of the Beijing International Airport or at the exit of the railway station, you will be warmly received by the volunteers from the Spectator Welcoming Centre and be greeted with the smiling faces of the Information Consultants who will provide answers to all your inquiries. Furthermore, you will receive free information materials on the Games and the City of Beijing.

After settling the food and lodging, your next concern will be how to get to the Olympics venues. We have specially compiled three guides, namely, The Spectator Guide to the Olympics, The Spectator Guide to the Paralympics and The Obstacle-free Service Guide to the Olympics and Paralympics, which contain the locations, ichnographies, road maps, games schedules, spectator watching regulations, obstacle-free information facilities and services of the games venues for the Olympics and the Paralympics. You will receive a free copy of The Spectator Guide when you buy the tickets. Furthermore, there are eight language versions in PDF format for you to download.

At the Olympics venues, the smile of Spectator Services Volunteers will accompany you throughout your events watching. You may consult them if you have any questions, but we suggest that you go to the Venue Information Booth where the Information Consultants will be most delighted to answer all your inquiries. Our volunteers will also do their best to lend a helping hand in case your child should walk away and lose contact with you. Of course, the Information Booth is also a good meeting landmark for you to meet someone under the huge conspicuous "i" signboard.

After watching the games and walking along the streets of Beijing filled with the festive mood of the Olympics, you probably want to know more about the cultural information of this ancient yet modern city of Beijing. We are pleased to introduce you some of the most famous Places of Interest and Entertainment Spots. If you need to practice religious services, we will provide information on the Religious Service Sites in Beijing for you to choose a suitable church or mosque. Shopping in Beijing and Dining in Beijing tell you where to shop for souvenirs and taste the finest Beijing cuisine.

Visit the other Olympics Cities is also a good idea. In the "Spectator Services" column, we will introduce you to the Olympic Sailing Competition Venue, Qingdao, Equestrian Competition Venue, Hong Kong, as well as the various Olympic Football Competition Venues, Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao. You may go and watch the games there or just go there for tour and we will also provide information on them for your convenience.

What a joy Beijing has to have visiting friends from afar! Today's Beijing is preparing to receive her friends and guests from all over the world with a brand-new look.