The famed Beijing roast duck restaurant chain Quanjude began offering menus in Braille on Thursday to better serve visually impaired customers during the Paralympic Games, which start later this week.

Such menus, printed in Chinese and English versions, can be found at Quanjude's oldest outlet in Qianmen Street south of Tian'anmen Square in downtown Beijing.

"We invited Braille teachers to render 120 classic dishes into Braille so as to let guests who are visually impaired freely choose their favorite dishes," said Wang Xiaoshan, vice general manager of the Qianmen outlet.

As a designated restaurant chain for the Paralympic athletes, the 134-year-old Quanjude has improved disabled-access facilities in all of its outlets. Its waiters and waitresses have been trained to use sign language to explain how to eat roast duck and describe its nutritional value.

The menus are only available at the Qianmen outlet.

Beijing roast duck is usually sliced and dipped in a sweet plum sauce before being wrapped into a thin pancake along with slices of onion and cucumber.

The duck, probably the most famous Chinese dish in the world, was a top favorite for global athletes competing at the Aug. 8-24 Beijing Olympics, said Deng Yaping, spokeswoman of the Olympic Village.

About 4,500 athletes and coaches from 148 countries and regions will take part in the Beijing Paralympics from Sept. 6 to 17.

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2008)