Thousands of people flocked to the Yongkang railway station in Tainan, southern Taiwan Friday to buy Republic of China Centennial commemorative tickets for the route between Yongkang and Baoan, according to Yongkang station master Lin Wen- chin. Lin said people started queuing up at the Yongkang railway station on Thursday night to obtain the Taiwan Railway Administration tickets, which were not due to go on sale until 8 a.m. Friday. At one point, the queue stretched for one kilometer, Lin said, estimating that it took buyers at least two hours to get to the sales counter. In Chinese, a rearrangement of the characters for Yongkang and Baoan produces the Chinese phrase 'Yong Bao An Kang, ' which means 'peace and health forever.' The commemorative tickets are being sold in sets of two, with one dated Dec. 31, 2010 and the other Jan. 1, 2011 -- the date when the Republic of China will mark 100th founding anniversary. New Year greetings are printed on the back of each ticket. The TRA issued a total of 50,000 sets of commemorative tickets in red packets that symbolize good luck and fortune in Chinese culture. Meanwhile, the EasyCard Corp. will release a limited edition of commemorative cards Saturday, also to mark the 100th anniversary of the ROC. In the two-card sets, one of the cards bears the words 'ROC Centennial Easy Card' in Chinese calligraphy, while other features the national flag of the Republic of China. Easy cards are used for payment on the Taipei area mass rapid transit and public bus systems, as well as at convenience and other retail stores in Taiwan. 