Photo: CFP

After the Beijing 2022 Games started in early February, Chinese people's interest in the Games-themed commemorative coins and banknotes surged.

Despite the drizzling rain and cold weather on Friday, at least 40 people were seen queuing at a branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) in Jing'an district in Shanghai to exchange Beijing Winter Olympic Games commemorative coins and banknotes on reservation.

Friday marks the first day for the second batch of exchange of Beijing 2022 commemorative coins and banknotes. 

Compared with the 10 sets of commemorative coins and banknotes allowed for booking during the first batch in November 2021, the second batch of bookings started from February 11 to February 13, allowing each person to reserve 20 sets at most, a staffer at the ICBC, told the Global Times on Friday.

A set of commemorative coins includes two coins, each worth 5 yuan ($0.79). A set of commemorative banknotes includes two pieces of 20 yuan banknotes, featuring ice and snow sports.

People who just got Winter Olympic banknotes from the window were seen holding them carefully in their hand.

"I booked 10 sets to support the Winter Olympics the first minute I knew about their issuance, as other collections like mascots Bing Dwen Dwen are so hard to get," a Shanghai resident surnamed Wang in her thirties told the Global Times on Friday. "The banknotes look fine and well designed. It is also of great collection value and commemorative significance," she said.

Another elderly resident in his sixties was also among the lucky ones to have the souvenir. 

"I am exchanging these commemorative banknotes for the second time. I gave them as a present to my grandchildren and they loved it," he said.

Many people failed to get a set as they missed the window for the booking. They were reluctant to leave and asked the staffer if there will be another round of booking.

"The public's fever for the Beijing 2022 commemorative coins and banknotes surged after the Winter Olympics kicked off and we have received a lot of inquiries every day," the staffer at ICBC said.

In the latest round of bookings, 99.23 percent of the coins and 80.48 percent of the banknotes were booked higher than the first booking, according to the People's Bank of China.

Around 1.267 million sets of coins and 2.506 million sets of banknotes were open for booking in the capital city Beijing during the second batch.

Global Times