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Article featured in Beijing This Month, July 2004
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Beijing 2008 Olympics

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English 1000, Chinese 1000

Olympic Torch Lights Beijing

2004/07/01

Yu Zaiqing, a member of the International Olympic Committee, kicked off the Beijing leg of the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch Relay at a grand ceremony held June 9 in front of the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing.

Yu, who is also vice-president of the Chinese Olympic Committee, received a torch from Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China's 16th Central Committee. Li lit the torch with fire from a lantern that was brought to Beijing aboard a chartered Greek airliner. When Chinese State Councillor Chen Zhili fired the starting gun at 9:30 a.m., Yu began his 400-metre leg of the 55-kilometre Olympic Torch course, kicking off the long-anticipated torch relay in the Chinese capital.

BOCOG President Liu Qi delivered a speech at the ceremony that was presided over by BOCOG Executive-President Wang Qishan.

Liu said, "The Olympic flame will sow the seeds of peace, friendship and progress in the hearts of the Chinese people, especially among the youth. It will continue to inspire us as we prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games."

Along the relay route, the flame passed from torch to torch as torchbearers and others zigzagged past a number of Beijing's modern and historical sites including: Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, Wangfujing, the China World Trade Center, Tsinghua and Peking universities, and other sites of cultural significance. A total of 148 lucky torchbearers participated in the event.

China's NBA star Yao Ming, who was selected by the Chinese Olympic Committee, was the final torchbearer to run. The relay reached its climax when Yao ignited a ceremonial cauldron at the Summer Palace, where the Beijing leg of the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay officially ended. A gala show was staged to wrap up the two-day event.

For further information in English, see: http://en.beijing-2008.org/



 
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