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: 国产111111在线观看| 国产精品无码日韩欧| 国产一级特黄a大片免费| 青青青国产依人精品视频| 在线观看人成网站深夜免费| 中文字字幕在线精品乱码app| 日本熟妇色熟妇在线视频播放| 亚洲aⅴ在线无码播放毛片一线天 亚洲aⅴ在线无码播放毛片一线天 | 国产精品日本一区二区在线看| AV无码小缝喷白浆在线观看 | 67194成是人免费无码| 天天干天天干天天干天天干 | 久久狠狠色噜噜狠狠狠狠97| 欧美va在线视频| 亚洲无圣光一区二区| 波多野结衣制服诱惑| 国产影片中文字幕| 手机看片国产在线| 国产精品视频铁牛tv| 99久久国产综合精品成人影院| 日本久久综合久久综合| 久久精品国产欧美日韩亚洲| 极品精品国产超清自在线观看| 亚洲人成在线影院| 欧美成人高清WW| 亚洲欧洲专线一区| 欧美综合自拍亚洲综合图片区 | 国产一卡二卡3卡4卡四卡在线 | 天天爱天天做久久天天狠狼| 一本加勒比HEZYO无码人妻| 成人欧美一区二区三区| 中文字幕日韩精品无码内射| 无码国产精品一区二区免费式芒果| 久久久无码人妻精品无码| 日本最新免费二区| 久久国产精久久精产国| 日本高清www| 久久乐国产精品亚洲综合| 日本成a人片在线观看网址| 久久亚洲精品中文字幕| 日本免费人成黄页在线观看视频 |