Sixty-four percent of Shanghai residents think ticket prices for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing are reasonable and 10 percent plan to book tickets, according to an online survey by a government-run Website.

The survey carried out on www.smmail.cn of about 5,000 residents found more than half of them are enthusiastic about the tickets on sale.

The Website is an online platform launched by the government in 2004 to provide subscribers with information via e-mail. The site also conducts online surveys.

The survey said eight percent thought ticket prices are too high for them to afford and another 28 percent said whether the prices are reasonable would depend on the different grades of the tickets.

"Watching the event on television is a poor substitute for actually being there, so I will buy the ticket and go there to enjoy the Games at the scene," said a respondent surnamed Zhang. "Anyway, it is the first time China has hosted the Olympic Games, so it is meaningful to experience it for myself."

Shanghai started selling tickets for the Games last Sunday. About seven million tickets are available, more than half of which are for domestic buyers.

Prices range from 30 yuan (US$3.80) to 1,000 yuan according to different seating areas and different sports programs. Of them, 58 percent of tickets cost less than 100 yuan.

(Shanghai Daily April 23, 2007)