The third phase of domestic Olympic ticket sales began in China on Monday. And in Tibet, many residents of Lhasa have rushed to buy tickets, saying they didn't want to miss the opportunity to go and see the Beijing Games.

People in Lhasa, the capital of southwestern China's Tibet Autonomous Region, queue in front of the Bank of China ticket outlets to purchase tickets for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Monday, May 5, 2008. [Photo: cnsphoto]

Dawa Toinzhub, general manager of Da Shi Co., LTD., said, "All the tickets I bought are for football matches. Our company has a football team. And all our employees like playing football."

Dawa Toinzhub said, "We will take our employees who have never been to Beijing to watch the Olympic Games. They are all from poor families. In addition to attending the Olympics, I hope that they can see for themselves what China is like and how prosperous it is."

Lhasa resident Li Husheng said, "I really want to go to Beijing to see and to feel for myself, since this is the first time the Olympic Games are being held in the capital. Tibet is so far from Beijing, but we are closely connected."

(CCTV May 6, 2008)