As reported by the Associated Press:
To commemorate the Beijing Olympics, China’s central bank is issuing a new 10-yuan note, according to a report by Monday’s official Xinhua New s Agency. The note is worth $1.45, the starting price for a taxi ride in the capital.
Mao is gone from the note, replaced by a sketch of the new National Stadium — the Bird’s Nest — and the emblem of the Beijing Games, according to the report. Both are set against the backdrop of the Temple of Heaven, one of Beijing’s iconic sites.
The back of the note features a statue of a Greek discus-thrower and the year 2008 written in Arabic script.
The bank said it will issue 6 million notes beginning Tuesday, a tiny distribution meant almost as a souvenir. The new note is slightly larger than the ordinary 10-yuan note, which will continue to circulate.
