(BEIJING, December 6) -- The first ever Olympic Expo is to be held in Beijing from August 8 18, it was announced here on Thursday.

Jointly sponsored by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), the Chinese Olympic Committee, and the China Post Group, it will be an international Olympic cultural event of the largest scope, widest coverage, and highest level in Olympic history.

The exhibits will include IOC collections, highlighted by the stamp collections of former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch; special Olympic-themed stamps from the China Stamp Museum; special Olympic-themed coins from the China Coin Museum; special Olympic-themed stamps of international collectors; international Olympic memorabilia collections; and international Olympic art works.

At the launching ceremony, representatives of the sponsoring organizations unveiled the emblem of the expo, which symbolizes a piece of red jade transmuted from auspicious clouds.

They also launched the official website -- www.2008expo.org -- and issued invitation letters to representatives of the participating countries.

In his speech, BOCOG executive vice-president Jiang Xiaoyu said that in August 2008, Beijing will be a focal point of the world. He expressed hope that the Olympic expo would add splendor to the Olympics, as the expo's colorful exhibits will showcase both the century-old Olympic Movement and ancient Chinese culture.