A multilingual spectator service call center for the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games was launched in Beijing on July 2. From July 2 to September 25, spectators from at home and abroad can call the 12308- hotline to obtain relevant information services.

The center offers information covering Olympic traffic, Olympic venues, events, admission and security notes, venue facilities and services. All telephone inquiries will be addressed to the caller's satisfaction within one minute.

This hotline will provide services in 14 languages. In addition to the three official languages – Chinese, English, and French – Japanese, Spanish, Arabic and other languages will be available. For the visitors coming from southern China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, Cantonese and Minnan dialects are also available.

The Olympic Call Center has a total of 500 hotlines. To ensure uninterrupted access every day from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm, 1,500 volunteers will be on duty at a time.

According to Zhang Zhenliang, vice-director of the Volunteer Department of BOCOG, the center has a content-rich database which covers all aspects of the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, including tourism, transportation and accommodation.

Hotlines opened:

English: 12308002
Japanese: 12308004
Korean: 12308010
Mandarin: 12308001
Chinese Cantonese: 12308015
Chinese Minnan: 12308016
Note: Other languages are accessible through a switchboard service

By People's Daily Online