Beijing Olympic Forest Park received its first group of visitors on Tuesday as the park, the largest city park in the country, opened for a trial run from July 1 to July 5, the Beijing Evening News reports.

With free admission tickets issued by the municipal government, thousands of citizens visited the park amid light rain.

A total number of over 30,000 citizens will visit the Olympic Park during the trial run period and the municipal government arranged a visitor inflow of 25,000 on July 3 to test the park's guest-receiving capability.

Built along the north-south axis of the city, the Chinese-style Olympic Forest Park will serve as a "backyard garden" for domestic and international athletes and coaches during the Games.

After the Olympic Games, the park will be renovated and will start to receive visitors in May next year.

The park authority reminded people that the park will only receive visitors in organized tour groups with free admission coupons and will not receive individual visitors.

(CRIENGLISH.com July 2, 2008)