The Nantong leg torch relay of Beijing Olympic flame will start on Sunday afternoon, the second leg in eastern China's Jiangsu province.
Nantong is located on the northern bank of the Yangtze River near the estuary. The prosperity of this city has traditionally depended on salt production on the nearby seacoast, rice and cotton, and especially the cotton textiles.
The city, known as "the first city in modern Chinese history", boasts the oldest moat, Haohe River in China. The other label attached to this city is "the cradle of Chinese world champions". Chinese athletes from Nantong have collected 40 gold medals in world arena.
The relay, snaking through 20 kilometers in the city, is scheduled to start from Sutong Bridge, which is bestriding the Yangtze River, and end at the stadium of Nantong Sports and Exhibition Center.
At the launching ceremony, a total of 104 torchbearers will observe one minute of silence to May 12 earthquake victims.
Charity boxes will be set up along the route for people to donate for the quake-hit region.
Under the schedule, the torch will also pass the Nantong's Municipal Administrative Center, the city's Sports Park and Nantong University. Nantong's Sutong bridge, a 32.4-kilometer-long, six-lane bridge, claims the longest span cable-stayed bridge in the world with its main span ranging 1,088 meters. It connects Nantong on the North bank of Yangtze River and Suzhou in the South, and is expected to cut transportation time between Nantong and Shanghai down to one hour from three hours.
The Olympic sacred flame will next arrive in Taizhou and Yangzhou on Monday, another two legs of the relay in Jiangsu province.
(Xinhua News Agency May 25, 2008)