The newly opened National Grand Theatre started selling standing
area tickets for the first time on Tuesday. Eager music lovers
waited overnight in strong winds to buy the 30 yuan (US$4) bargain
tickets, with all 100 been sold out within 40 minutes.
The New Year's first show in the theatre is a concert brought by
Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa.
Ticket buyers told the Beijing Evening News that the
first of them started queuing at around 9 o'clock on Monday night,
with the box office opening at 9:30 am on Tuesday morning.
Beijing citizens queue in
front of the box office of the National Grand Theatre to buy
low-price standing tickets for a New Year concert on Tuesday,
January 1 2008. (photo: Xinhua)
"The temperature fell below zero last night, and the wind was so
strong. We stood out there for the whole night and took turns to
warm ourselves in a nearby McDonald's," one of several college
students who successfully bought a ticket said. "We are now going
back to school to sleep and will come again in the evening."
Although the low-price standing tickets will be a long-term
policy of the theatre, people did not want to miss the chance to
see a master musician. "Seiji Ozawa is growing old and he will not
come to China every year," one buyer said.
Beijing citizens queue in
front of the box office of the National Grand Theatre to buy
low-price standing tickets for a New Year concert on Tuesday,
January 1 2008.
Others are concerned about the ticket price in the future,
"Performance in the theatre are going to cost a lot. Will the
standing tickets still be 30 yuan later on? Best to go for it as
early as we can."
Beijing citizens queue in
front of the box office of the National Grand Theatre to buy
low-price standing tickets for a New Year concert on Tuesday,
January 1 2008.
(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2008)
