The post office on Mount Qomolangma has issued a special postmark to celebrate the Olympic torch's successful ascent. Large crowds turned out for the commemorative postmark as a souvenir.

The post office on Mount Qomolangma has issued a special postmark to celebrate the Olympic torch's successful ascent.(CCTV.com)

The world's highest post office is far from deserted today.

Long queues formed here, after a special stamp chop was released following the ascent of the Olympic flame.

The three-man strong staff at this post office is busy handling the sudden influx of customers. Each stamp chop costs ten yuan for stamps or postcards.

Li Zhi, team member of Qomolangma Torch Relay Center, said, "This is special for today, an Olympic torch commemorative item and the arrival of the Olympic torch on Everest. Specially for today it's ten Yuan for a stamp chop."

The commemorative postmark, only on sale at the Qomolangma post office, is expected to become a collector's item and organizers on the mountain stocked up on the rare article.

Xu Xianhui, deputy photo chief of Media Operations, BOCOG, said, "Today we witnessed the ascent of the Olympic torch up Mount Qomolangma and we're buying the envelops with the commemorative stamp chop here because this is a once in a lifetime event for us. So we want to buy this and keep this as a souvenir and of course we want to send this to all our friends around the country and share this with them."

The post office, perched at over 5 thousand meters above sea level, was first set up in 2001. But it was moved five kilometers away from the Olympic torch base camp because of the relay preparations.

(CCTV May 10, 2008)