Chinese Yuan Banknote with Olympic Design

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) has issued a new 10 yuan banknote sporting a design (shown below) commemorating the Beijing Olympics. The China Central Bank indicates a total of 6 million of the notes will be issued.

According to Chinese news reports, thousands of bank branches have already begun exchanging them to an anxious public willing to wait in lines for the chance at one.

In many world news stories, focus has been on the note’s Olympic design that has replaced the image of Mao Zedong, founding leader of communist China. Since 1999, the 50th anniversary of the Communist party taking power, Zedong’s face has appeared on all Chinese banknotes.

The note’s front features Beijing’s National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest. It’s depicted in an interlocking mesh of steel that looks much like a bird’s nest. The 2008 Olympic Games dancing man emblem/logo is also shown.

The back of the note features a Greek discus-thrower and the year 2008 in Arabic script.

Both sides of the bill feature the Temple of Heaven as a backdrop, one of China’s best known landmarks.

A 10 yuan note is worth about $1.46 at today’s exchange rate.