Beijing has started selling souvenir sets of left-over grass and steel from its famed Bird's Nest Olympic stadium for 2,900 yuan (420 dollars) each, Chinese media reported Thursday.

The packs include grass cut on the night of the Games' closing ceremony, preserved in a clear box, and model Olympic torches made of steel that was not used for construction of the National Stadium, the Beijing News said.

There are 10,000 souvenir sets available for sale inside the Bird's Nest, as well as various department stores around Beijing and online, the report said.

The Bird's Nest, which seats 91,000 people, became the symbol of the Games held in August in China's capital, attracting worldwide attention for its striking design of interlocking steel girders.

It hosted the Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, as well as athletics competition and football final.

It has since proved a hit with tourists, attracting 60,000 visitors on its October 1 opening day, and thousands of people every day since.

But the venue has also attracted controversy due to charges of 50 yuan (7.3 dollars) for a tour inside, which some locals and sections of the state-run press have said are too high.

According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, the average Beijing household has only 60 yuan of disposable income per day.

AFP

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