Besides metropolitan views and great variety of consumer products, mainland tourists now have another reason for paying a visit to Hong Kong -- its Olympic fever.

An estimated number of 3,000 mainland tourists have applied for Olympic-themed tourist groups to watch the Olympic equestrian events the city is hosting, said a spokesman from the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

These Olympic-themed tourist groups are highly welcomed by the mainland tourists, said the spokesman, according to the Hong Kong- based Ta Kung Pao.

"Olympic Games are a dream-come-true for all the Chinese," one mainland tourist said. "I can't make it to Beijing, so I choose to watch the equestrian events in Hong Kong instead to show my support for the Games."

One tourist group from Foshan of the neighboring Guangdong Province arrived in the city Saturday and watched the events in the Shatin equestrian arena in the evening.

"I have never watched an Olympic event before," said a tourist surnamed Yang. "It's convenient for me to come to Hong Kong to show my support."

With the 11-day competition kicking off on Saturday, the city is filled with an Olympic fever. Thousands of local Olympic fans are flocking to giant screens in public parks and malls to cheer for the Chinese athletes.

More than 200 athletes from 42 countries and regions are now competing in Hong Kong for six gold medals in the equestrian events of the 29th Summer Olympic Games.

The equestrian events consist of three disciplines, namely, dressage, jumping and three-day eventing, with each consisting of two gold medals -- one for individual competitions and the other for team contests.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2008)