Oktoberfest beer festival kicks off in Munich

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Newly-elected Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter on Saturday officially opened here the two-week Oktoberfest beer festival with the traditional cry of "It is tapped!"

With all eyes on him, Reiter tapped the first keg of beer with a wooden hammer.

One-liter cup of beer costs this year between 9.70 euros (12.44 U.S. dollars) and 10.10 euros (12.95 U.S. dollars), marking the first time for the beer price during Oktoberfest to surpass 10 euro per cup.

On average, this year's beer price is 2.58 percent higher than last year. The beer price in 2013 was between 9.40 euro and 9.85 euro per liter.

In spite of rain, hundreds of thousands of people came out to watch the traditional parade made up of all hosts from different beer tents.

Around six million visitors and beer-drinkers are expected until Oct. 5 during the world's largest beer festival.

The history of Oktoberfest could date back to 1810, when Bavarian Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen. Since then, people celebrated the anniversary of their marriage in midst of the Theresienwiese, which was named after Princess Therese. Endit

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