The Olympic park in the Chinese capital is expected to reopen to citizens on Friday after it was closed on Monday for dismantling of certain facilities.

Beijing citizens are free to enter into the common area of the park, otherwise called Olympic Green, but they still need to buy tickets for the National Stadium, or Bird's Nest, and the Water Cube, two major Olympic venues, according to Wang Chun, an Olympic Park common area administration commission official.

The 1,135-hectare park in Chaoyang District was shut on Monday to dismantle some business and security check facilities after it hosted more than 2.8 million tourists during the week-long National Day holidays from September 29 to October 5.

Local citizens need no strict security check when they enter into the common area after it reopens.

(Xinhua News Agency October 8, 2008)