Home / 2008 Beijing Olympic Games / 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Torch Relay / News Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Olympic torch relay begins final leg
Adjust font size:
Yang Liwei, hero astronaut kicks off relay.

Yang Liwei, hero astronaut kicks off relay. 

The Olympic torch relay began its final leg from the landmark Forbidden City on Wednesday morning, through the host city which celebrated its arrival with flying flags and beaming smiles.

At the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City, the torch was handed over to the first bearer, Yang Liwei, the country's first astronaut, by Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games (BOCOG).

The cheerful and eager crowd had gathered in Tian'anmen Square since the early morning, holding high their red Chinese national flags and the white flags of the Beijing Olympics.

"The flame came back to Beijing!" said Guo Jinlong, Beijing mayor, at the brief ceremony held at the small square in front of the 558-year-old gate, decorated by red carpets and flags. "We can expect a successful end of the Journey of Harmony."

The torch returned from a journey of 129 days and 137,000 km through six continents, the longest since the tradition started at the 1936 Berlin Games, under the theme "Journey of Harmony."

"Beijing is fully ready for the Olympic Games. The city is opening its arms to guests worldwide," Guo said. "We are eagerly waiting for the flame to be lit in the National Stadium."

It was not sunny, and it was cooler than previous days for bearers to run through the vast city of 17 million people. Every one of them smiled broadly and waved to the cheerful crowd chanting "Go Olympics, Go Beijing" along the streets, some even dancing during their run.

Along the relay route, many Beijingers had waited for them long before the beginning of the relay. Kids sat on the shoulders of their parents covering their foreheads with a red ribbon written "Go China". Young girls with small red and white flags pasted on their cheek waved bigger flags in their hand and tried to touch the torches when some bearers finished their tasks.

The 104-year-old Cao Zuozheng was among the cheering crowd sitting in her wheelchair. On Tuesday the elderly lady had asked her family to take her to the Meridian Gate and took a photo there to mark the torch relay.

The Olympic flame will travel through the Olympic host city for three days, carried by a total of 841 torch bearers.

On its first day, the torch relay will cover 16.4 km in just over four hours through seven districts, passing city landmarks, including the Tian'anmen Square, the egg-shaped National Center for the Performing Arts and Qianmen (the front gate). It will end at the Temple of Heaven.

Among the 433 bearers, 29 are foreigners, two from Hong Kong and one from Taiwan.

Yang Liwei, hero astronaut kicks off relay.

Yang Liwei, hero astronaut kicks off relay.

"The torch relay has displayed the spirit of Chinese," said Yang Liwei, who became a national hero overnight after succeeding in China's first manned space mission in October 2003. "I am very glad to be the first torch bearer in Beijing but the honor goes to our motherland. I feel proud of my own country."

There are big names and ordinary people among the bearers. Yao Ming, China's most popular basketball star, was the ninth bearer.

"When the flame was lit on my torch, my mind went blank. All I knew was to run. I can't keep being thrilled during the run," said Yao, admitting that he was too excited to speak in anything more than an incoherent manner, though the Houston Rockets center is normally quite a good talker in front of the media.

Zhang Yimou, the famed film director and chief director of the Games' opening and closing ceremonies, also carried the torch on Wednesday.

1   2   3   4   5    


Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read Bookmark and Share

Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous
China Archives
Related >>
- 1st day's torch relay in Beijing to last 4 hr
- Torch relay route in Beijing unveiled
Special Reports
First Round washout at the US Open

More >>

Upcoming Events

June 2009

- Tennis: French Open
- NBA Finals
- Soccer: FIFA Confederations Cup
- Tennis: Wimbledon Open
主站蜘蛛池模板: gogo免费在线观看| 久久大香伊焦在人线免费| 精品免费视频一卡2卡三卡4卡不卡 | 国产欧美久久一区二区| 91香蕉国产在线观看人员| 婷婷开心深爱五月天播播| 中文字幕日韩三级| 日本黄色影院在线观看| 亚洲av无码国产综合专区| 欧美日产国产亚洲综合图区一| 亲胸揉胸膜下刺激网站| 窝窝人体色www| 午夜电影成人福利| 老公和他朋友一块上我可以吗| 国产偷窥熟女精品视频大全| 99自拍视频在线观看| 国产激情无码视频在线播放性色 | 精品久久久久久| 又色又污又爽又黄的网站| 老子影院理论片在线观看| 国产亚洲av综合人人澡精品| 黄网在线免费看| 国产成人综合美国十次| 亚洲人成网站看在线播放| 国产精品免费看久久久| 3d动漫精品啪啪一区二区中 | 制服丝袜在线不卡| 综合欧美日韩一区二区三区| 国产jizz在线观看| 色综合久久98天天综合| 国产乱人视频在线观看播放器| 青青青久97在线观看香蕉| 国产在线视频网| 黑人与中国女一级毛片不卡| 国产男女爽爽爽免费视频| 二区久久国产乱子伦免费精品 | 欧美性狂猛xxxxxbbbbb| 亚洲成人自拍网| 欧美特黄特色aaa大片免费看| 亚洲欧美日韩成人网| 欧美第一页草草影院浮力|