A worker passes by a traditional Chinese mural painting in the Beijing Olympic Main Press Center on July 3, 2008. Three press centers for the Beijing Olympics including the Main Press Center, the International Broadcast Center and the Beijing International Media Center, formally start service on July 8. [Photo: Xinhua]

The Main Press Center (MPC) for the Beijing Olympics formally opened on July 8 and will start 24-hour operation on July 25 to receive reporters from all over the world, the Beijing Morning Post reports.

Located in the newly-built National Convention Center in the Beijing Olympic Green, the Main Press Center is the central work place for about 7,000 accredited journalists for both written and photographic press covering the 2008 Olympic Games and will also serve as the MPC for the Paralympic Games.

It is estimated that during the Olympics nearly 500 press conferences will be held in the five media halls of the MPC, which are named after plum, orchid, bamboo, chrysanthemum and pine tree, the most popular plants in Chinese literature and arts.

The other two press centers for the Beijing Olympics including the International Broadcast Center (IBC) and the Beijing International Media Center (BIMC) also started services on Tuesday.

The International Broadcast Center, which is close to the MPC, is the heart of the Olympic broadcast operations and the headquarters for about 16,000 reporters from 120 world broadcasters.

The Beijing International Media Center provides services to up to 10,000 journalists without IOC accreditation certificates in Gehua New Century Hotel, located on the city's central axis between the second and third ring roads.

The BIMC plans to hold press conferences on a daily basis, inviting relevant government officials to answer questions on China's economic development, environmental protection, food security and city construction, etc.