By Xinhua
Beijing : The Beijing Olympic torch replica, made of the same steel as the ‘Bird’s Nest’, will hit the market with a limited number on Saturday.
The Beijing Organising Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG) released the 29 cm-high scroll-shaped torch replica Thursday at a packed press conference.
“The height of the miniature torch is 29 cm, representing the 29th modern Olympic Games and it is the first time the International Olympic Committee has ever allowed a three-dimensional torch replica of the Summer Games to be sold on the market,” said Wang Yu, deputy director of BOCOG’s marketing department.
“The number of the torch replica sold has been limited to 200,000 worldwide,” he said of the mini-sized torch whose official name is ‘the Classic Edition of the Beijing Olympic Torch’.
Another feature of the product, Wang said, is that it is made from the actual steel left from the construction of the National Stadium, nicknamed the ‘Bird’s Nest’, which is crafted out of woven steel and resembles a sturdy but intricate bird’s nest.
Each model of the 72 cm-high Beijing Olympic torch has been marked with a unique collector’s number and is priced at 2,900 yuan ($410).
The red and silver Beijing Olympic torch, resembling an ancient scroll and engraved with the Chinese traditional pattern of a cloud, was unveiled in April last year.
The Beijing Games will open Aug 8 and conclude Aug 24.