The designed route of the April 19 Olympic torch relay in Bangkok embodies Thailand's traditional culture and history, which pays reverence to Buddhism and monarchy in the Kingdom, as well as tribute to developments on its path towards modernization, economically or politically.

The 10.4-km route starts from the century-old China Town, runs through the prestigious Ratchadamnoen Avenue lined with many historic and cultural heritage sites, encircles the outer ring of royal residence of Chitralada Palace, and finishes at the King Rama V Monument, Royal Plaza, where a celebration ceremony will be held.

The relay is set to start at 3:00 p.m. (0800 GMT) Saturday, and it is estimated to take about three hours to complete the journey.

-- The Chinese Gate and China Town

The torch relay starts form the Chinese Gate standing at the mouth of Yaowarat Road -- the main street of Bangkok's China Town area.

The Chinese Gate is a Chinese traditional-styled "Paifang" -- a memorial gateway building similar to a torii, built in 1999 to mark the 72nd birthday of King Bhumibol, the present monarch of Thailand.

The first two-kilometer distance along the relay route is to cover the whole Yaowarat Road of one kilometer long, and the second half of the Charoen Krung Road joined with Yaowarat.

The China Town area was expanded to its form today in 1891, when then Thai King Rama V ordered the construction of the Yaowarat Road to join with Charoen Krung Road in order to accommodate the expanding community of Chinese immigrants who swarmed into Thailand, settled in Bangkok and quickly developed a business area since late 1700s.

The second massive migration of Chinese to Thailand happened during and after the World War II, when the Japanese invasion and depredation in southern coastal part of China drove local Chinese to foreign soil.

The two generations of Chinese immigrants have built up a large Chinese community in Thailand, mostly in the central riverbank areas like Bangkok and nearby provinces, as well as in lower northeast part and southern coastal provinces.

The China Town in Bangkok has ever since thrived on the diligence, shrewdness and sharp vision of Chinese businessmen of several generations and became a commercial center for Thai-Chinese.

More than 100 gold shops, as well as Chinese herbal medicine shops, Chinese food stalls and restaurants lined both sides of the crowded and curving street of Yaowarat, making it a shopping paradise for locals and tourists searching for traditional Chinese commodities and food.

The Chinese Gate is now a symbolic site for the Chinese community in Bangkok and the venue for ceremonies on important Chinese festivals like Chinese New Year normally falling in early February, or Chinese Vegetarian Festival in October.