  We introduce the Galactic Bulge Survey (GBS) and we provide the Chandra
source list for the region that has been observed to date. Among the goals of
the GBS are constraining the neutron star equation of state and the black hole
mass distribution via the identification of eclipsing neutron star and black
hole low-mass X-ray binaries. The latter goal will, in addition, be obtained by
significantly enlarging the number of black hole systems for which a black hole
mass can be derived. Further goals include constraining X-ray binary formation
scenarios, in particular the common envelope phase and the occurrence of kicks,
via source-type number counts and an investigation of the spatial distribution
of X-ray binaries, respectively. The GBS targets two strips of 6x1 degrees (12
square degrees in total), one above (1<b<2 degrees) and one below (-2<b<-1
degrees) the Galactic plane in the direction of the Galactic Center at both
X-ray and optical wavelengths. By avoiding the Galactic plane (-1<b<1 degrees)
we limit the influence of extinction on the X-ray and optical emission but
still sample relatively large number densities of sources. The survey is
designed such that a large fraction of the X-ray sources can be identified from
their optical spectra. The X-ray survey, by design, covers a large area on the
sky while the depth is shallow using 2 ks per Chandra pointing. In this way we
maximize the predicted number ratio of (quiescent) low-mass X-ray binaries to
Cataclysmic Variables. The survey is approximately homogeneous in depth to an
0.5-10 keV flux of 7.7x10^-14 erg cm-2 s-1. So far, we have covered about
two-thirds (8.3 square degrees) of the projected survey area with Chandra
providing over 1200 unique X-ray sources. We discuss the characteristics and
the variability of the brightest of these sources.
