The Asian Games torch has arrived back in Zhongshan City, named after the founding father of modern China, legendary revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen.

The torch has now come full circle after originally departing from Zhongshan City's Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park earlier this month.

At nine o'clock this morning, the torch, dubbed "The Tide" was lit and displayed by CPC Zhongshan Committee Secretary Chen Genkai. He then handed it over to the first bearer, Olympic badminton champion Yang Wei.

A total of 80 torch bearers were involved including China's best golfer Liang Wenchong, general director of the opening and closing ceremonies and Beijing Olympics - Chen Weiya, 93-year-old Zhongshan cartoonist Fang Cheng and former national volleyball team captain Feng Kun.

Tens of thousand of residents lined streets to welcome the flame back to the city.

The 11.2 km rout ended at Civil Fitness Square, where 73-year-old Sun Bisheng, whose name means "must-win" in Chinese, lit the "basin of holy fire." Fittingly, Sun is a great grand nephew of Sun Zhongshan, the namesake of the city. He said, "It is an honor for me to be a torch bearer for the Asian Games. I hope the spirit of Sun Zhongshan can live on and spread. "