Shanghai all set for torch relay

Torchbearer Cao Yanhua runs with the torch during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shanghai, east China, on May 23 - 24, 2008.

Pop star Zhou Xun runs with the torch during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shanghai, east China, on May 23, 2008.

People cheer for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay and care for the people of the earthquake-ridden southwest and northwest China's regions during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shanghai, east China, on May 23, 2008.

BEIJING, May 22 -- The Shanghai leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay will be held in the city tomorrow and on Saturday after being postponed during the nation's period of mourning for earthquake victims.

The Olympic flame will be passed on to Shanghai from Zhejiang Province this evening, local authorities announced yesterday.

The relay will pass eight city areas including historic sites, education and commercial centers as well as zones outside the downtown area.

More than 400 torchbearers will take part in the Shanghai relay.

The relay means there will be traffic restrictions and some transit bus lines will make detours or have their routes temporarily shortened.

The torch relay organizers will hold a news conference in Shanghai today, open to both Chinese and overseas media representatives.

China National Radio, the CCTV Olympic Channel, and local radio and TV stations will make live broadcasts of the torch relay from the launching ceremony at 8 a.m. tomorrow until the end.

As the relay continues on Saturday, sightseeing bus routes will also be affected, city tourism authorities said yesterday. Some services will be delayed, and others canceled.

Officials said people who have bought tourism tickets for Saturday can receive refunds before May 31 at all business sites of the Shanghai Sightseeing Bus Center.

The Olympic torch relay resumes its journey through China today at a container port in the eastern city of Ningbo, traveling across the Hangzhou Bay Bridge to Jiaxing. Later today the flame will be moved by vehicle to Shanghai.

It is unclear exactly how the route through the rest of China will be adjusted to make up for the delay this week.

After Shanghai, the torch and relay move to neighboring Jiangsu Province.

They are due to arrive on June 13 in Chongqing City and enter Sichuan Province, site of the deadly earthquake, two days later.

The torch will make a triumphant return to Beijing on August 6, two days before the Games' opening ceremony.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)

Torch relay kicks off in Hangzhou Sunday

The Olympic torch relay kicked off in Hangzhou on Sunday. People mourn for the dead in the big earthquake that took place in Sichuan Province on Monday.

The Olympic torch relay kicked off in Hangzhou city on Sunday, the third leg in East China's Zhejiang province.

The torch relay started from the city's Great Hall of the People with the total length of 15.63 kilometers around the West Lake.

The first torchbearer of Hangzhou leg of torch relay was former badminton star Li Lingwei, who owns 38 medals including 13 world titles.

Olympic torch relay goes through China's SE Xiamen

Torchbearer, retired badminton player Ji Xinpeng lights the cauldron at the celebration ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province, on May 12, 2008. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

XIAMEN, China, May 12 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic torch was relayed through scenic Xiamen, the third stop in China's southeast province at 14:03 and concluded 17:15 local time on Monday.
Guo Yuehua, former table tennis world champion ran the first leg at a seaside launching ceremony, while Olympic badminton champion Ji Xinpeng, the final leg.
The Xiamen relay route covered 17.4 kilometers, with 100 torchbearers carrying the flame along palm tree-lined roads looking out over the Sea.
The relay started on Xiamen International Conference & Exhibition Center, passing a number of renown scenic spot including Huandao Road, Yanwu Bridge, Gulangyu Island, Yundang Lake, Egret Park, which highlighted Xiamen's seaside landscape and harmonious living environment.
Spectators flocked into the street and awaited the arrival of the Olympic flame, waved national flags and Olympic flags. Amid cheers and jubilance from the rapturous crowd, the torch reached the destination Xiamen Sports Center.
Guo, honored to be the first torchbearer, is a world-famous table tennis player with eight successive world titles.
"I'm proud of our country and also proud of the great achievement that several generations of Chinese athletes made with their passion and sweat in the past decades," the 52-year-old Guo said.
Xiamen, located on the south-eastern coast of Fujian, is one of China's five special economic zones, and a rapid developing city in the province. It has long since enjoyed its soubriquet of the "Garden on the Sea", known for its clean air, tidiness and comfortable living environment.
In 2004, the city was awarded the "UN Habitat Scroll of Honour" as one of "the best places to live".

Olympic torch relay in Fuzhou starts

FUZHOU, Southeast China, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic torch relay in Fuzhou, the capital city of southeastern China's Fujian province, kicked off at 9:39 a.m. local time on Sunday.
At the launching ceremony, Zheng Meizhu, the former volleyball Olympic champion, took the torch from a local official in the Wuyi Square, running as the first of the 208 bearers.
"I'm extremely excited and honored at this moment. It's quite different from being an athlete to go all out for an Olympic medal. As a torchbearer, I felt I shoulder the responsibility of passing on the love and friendship to the world," smiling Zheng told reporters.
A large number of spectators witnessed the launching ceremony, with national flags and Olympic flags waving, and hundreds of citizens performed Chinese traditional drum dancing from the starting point.
The 28-kilometer Fuzhou relay started on the Wuyi square in the center of the city, set to pass local landmarks and historic sites, including Three Hills and Two Pagodas, Three Alleys and Seven Lanes, Luoxing Tower and Taijiang Dock. The relay will end at the Wanglongtai Park, where a celebration is going to be held.
Fuzhou is a famous historic and cultural city on the southeastern coast of China with a history of more than 2,200 years, and also a pivotal gateway on "the silk road via the sea".
The city is also a famous hometown for overseas Chinese. There are 2.7 million overseas Chinese, and Hong Kong, Macao compatriots with the origin of Fuzhou living in more than 110 countries and regions in the world.
After the tour of Fuzhou, the Olympic flame is set to carry on its relay in Quanzhou, the second stop in Fujian province, on Monday.

Olympic torch relay in China's Guangdong Province ends

SHANTOU, South China, May 10 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic torch relay in China's Guangdong province concluded as Shantou leg went off in spells of rain on Saturday.
Shantou's relay started at 8:05 a.m. local time, marking the last stopover in Guangdong province. Shantou was one of the original Special Economic Zones of China in the 1980s.
The launching ceremony overcame the rainstorm in the morning, with a former weightlifting world champion Cai Yanshu taking over the first torch from a local official in the Dragon Bay District Square.
Cai Yanshu, 44, is a world champion himself before training Zhang Guozheng to the Olympic champion at the 2004 Athens Games.
Cao won gold in men's 75kg category at the 1986 Asian Games. He snatched a weight of160kg, grabbing the title of 75kg category at the 1989 World Championships,.
"I have never win an Olympic medal. The experience of being an Olympic torchbearer just makes up for the regret," said Cao.
"I trained Zhang Guozheng to the top of Olympic podium at the Athens Olympics and I am now honored to pass the Olympic torch. That's a consummation for me," added Cao.
"It's a surprise for me to be the first torchbearer. It's no less than winning an Olympic gold medal. It's a credit from my hometown. The 200m is very short, so I need to get prepared for each action and movement each second as I am carrying the torch. Each torchbearer is bound to show the best in his/her country and his/her hometown."
There are 22 world champions in the 208 torchbearers . Renowned torchbearers are Sun Shuwei, the 1992 Olympic champion in diving, Chen Kunxiong, a paralyzed athlete with over 20 gold medals in his career, Xu Yinchuan, a international master of Chinese chess and Chen Hanshi, who ran for a second time after Bangkok relay last month.
Shantou mayor Cai Zongze was the last one to carry the torch and lighted the cauldron with Sun together at 4:15 local time.
The relay in Shantou proceeded a course of 36km, traversing Pangu Bank, Heng Mountain Road, Tai Mountain road, Train Station Square, Golden Bay Bridge, City Swimming Stadium, Golden Sand Park, Times Square, Yellow Mountain Road, Seaside Road, training base of Chinese diving team.
The highlights along the route are Golden Bay Bridge, Star Lake Park and torch exhibition in diving base. The celebration ceremony was put on in City People's Square.
"It's as significant to be a torchbearer as to win the Olympic gold medal," said Sun Shuwei, who won China's first diving gold atthe 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He was also a titlist at World Championships and World Cup.
Sun missed a treasured opportunity to pass the Olympic flame in2004 due to unavailability for the U.S. visit.
"I missed the Olympic torch last time. It's a pity for me, but this time I'd like to enjoy the moment. It's once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone. This helps me better understand the Olympic spirit," said Sun. Sun is working as a coach in Guangdong Provincial Sports Skill College. "Now my expectation lies in my students. I hope someone among them can be crowned as world champion someday."
Chen Hanshi is the only one carrying the Beijing Olympic torch twice by far after taking part in the Bangkok relay on April 19.
"It's a more remarkable story to carry the Olympic torch in my hometown. It's an honor endowed by my hometown and I will reserve the memory for life," said the 73-year-old.
Chen Hanshi emigrated to Thailand from Shantou, his Ancestral home, in 1963, who is running the world second largest tunny can factory.
"Overseas Chinese are concerned about our homeland. Once the time comes, we would come back to do something right for our hometowns. Now the Olympic Games become a new ligament binding domestic Chinese and overseas Chinese," added Chen.
"The last time to hold torch is in my emigration country, this time in my home country. I am so lucky."
Shantou, historically known in the West as Swatow or Swatau, is a city of five million permanent inhabitants in coastal eastern Guangdong Province.
With its immediately surrounding cities of Jieyang and Chaozhou, the metropolitan region - known as Chaoshan - had a permanent population of 14 million by the end of 2007.
Shantou, a city significant in 19th-century Chinese history as one of the treaty ports established for Western trade and contact, was one of the original Special Economic Zones in China, along with other cities such as Shenzhen, Xiamen and Zhuhai.
In the 1930s, Shantou Port was a transport hub and merchandise distribution center for Southeast China; its cargo throughput ranked third in the nation.
Shantou was a fishing village part of Tuojiang City, Jieyang District during the Song Dynasty. It came to be Xialing during the Yuan Dynasty. In 1563, Shantou was a part of Chenghai District in Chao Prefecture (Chaozhou). As early as 1574, Shantou had been called Shashan Ping. In the seventeenth century, a cannon platform called Shashan Toupaotai was made here, and the name later was shortened to "Shantou".

Olympic torch goes through picturesque Huizhou

HUIZHOU, South China, May 9 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic torch was carried through scenic Huizhou in Friday's relay, the third stop in Guangdong province, with the local backstroker Chen Xiujun bearing the first leg.
Chen, 22, finished first in women's 200m backstroke at China's national games 2001. Then a year later, she was ranked fourth at the Busan Asian Games in the event. In the 2004 Athens Games, Chensettled with the fourth place in 4x100m medley.
The itinerary lasted for 30 kilometers, covering lake-encircling scenery, avenues, tree-thriving massif, demonstrating a scene of "half landscape and half lake" in the city, which has two rivers and a zigzag lake located in downtown area.
As usual in torch relay, thousands of residents occupied the sidewalk along the route, presenting a grand ovation for the passing of Olympic flame in their hometown.

Spectators wave Chinese flags while watching the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Huizhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on May 9, 2008. (Photo credit: Xinhua)
Other top athletes in torchbearers include Liang Wenbo, a snooker player and Lv Qin, a chess master and Zhong Xiu'e, a retired wrestler.
Besides, workers, servicemen, entrepreneurs, army officers and merchants are all taken into account in the relay.
Lv Qin, a team and individual world chess champion, is the last one in the day's relay.
"I would like to put my torch in my chess club, so as to let more people see it and be part of the Olympic Games," said 47-year-old Lv, who started playing chess when he was seven.
Liang was the champion at the 2005 world youth billiard championships, and also was the team champion at the Doha Asian Games 2006. He reached the quarterfinals at the World Championships 2008.
Zhong Xiu'e boasted a five-time world champion in a row and was entitled "Top Ten Wrestlers in 20th Century".
The Huizhou relay started at 8:10 a.m. local time in the City Stadium Square, set to pass East River Bridge, East River Sands Park, Rivers Joining Building, Pen Pagoda, Ancient City Gate, FlatLake Gate, Huabianling Square, Centurymart, Huizhou College, SouthLine Intersection, Red Flower Lake, West Lake Gate, Ciyun Pavilion and Huizhou Bridge before reaching the destination Civic Eden.
Thousands of local residents witnessed the opening ceremony in which hundreds of pigeons were released.
Liu Wenjie, a member in China's peace-keeping police squad in Haiti, ran a leg in Friday's relay. He was awarded a "Peace Medal" by UN.
"I am a peace keeper in Haiti and now being a torchbearer, I am a peace promoter as the Olympic spirit represents peace," said Liu.
"World peace is the strongest power for progress. I hope the Olympic flame can light the world and the relay can spread the message of peace around China and the world," he added.
The relay ended at 3:10 p.m. local time. The celebration activity took place in the starting site, the Huizhou Stadium. Chinese drum beating, lion and drag dancing, and Olympic style songs were staged.
Huizhou is a prefecture-level city in Guangdong province, China. Part of the Pearl River Delta, Huizhou borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou to the west, Shaoguan to the north, Heyuan to the northeast, Shanwei to the east, Shenzhen and Dongguan to the southwest, and looks out to the South China Sea to the south. Its name is linked to the "four treasures of the scholar's studio", often referred to as Huizhou's "four treasures of the scholar's studio".
Huizhou gradually gained benefit from the Chinese economic reform in the late 1980s. The blossom of real estate market attracted capital investment from Hong Kong and Taiwan, together with the establishment of factories and plants by these investment.
In the provincial economic development strategy, Huizhou is regarded as a site for a world-class petrochemical industry, as well as the hub for solidifying information technology, and expanding exports and trades.
The relay is to continue its journey of harmony in Shantou, the last stopover in Guangdong before moving to Fujian Province on Saturday.

Olympic torch relayed on Mt. Qomolangma for first time in history

Chinese climbers display an Olympic torch, an Olympic flame lantern, a flag of International Olympic Committee, a Chinese National flag and a flag of the 29th Olympic Games at the top of the 8844.43-meter summit of Mt. Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on May 8, 2008. (Photo credit: Ngawang Chagxi/Xinhua)
MT. QOMOLANGMA BASE CAMP, Tibet, May 8 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic flame made its first trip to Mount Qomolangma as Chinese mountaineers brought it to the top of the world at 9:12 a.m. Beijing time (0112 GMT) on Thursday.
The torch was lit at about one hundred meters away from the summit and then relayed upwards by five torchbearers.
The last bearer Tsering Wangmo, an ethnic Tibetan and one of the two female climbers on the final assault team, carried the torch to the peak.
The unprecedented relay lasted about six minutes.
"The successful ascent does not only belong to the Chinese Mountaineering Team, but also to our country," said Hu Jiayan, deputy director of the General State Administration of Sports.
Having promised to take the torch relay to Mt. Qomolangma in their bidding campaign, the Beijing organizers gathered a team of 36 climbers. Among them 19 were picked for the final assault starting from the 8,300-meter-high camp in early hours of Thursday.

TV grab from May 8, 2008 shows Female climber Cirenwangmu displays the Beijing Olympic torch "Xiangyun" at the top of the 8844.43-meter summit of Mt. Qomolangma in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on May 8, 2008. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

The final team, dressed in red parkas emblazoned with Olympic logos, should have reached the top earlier. But in order to get better sunlight and hence clear-cut live footage for the TV audience, the climbers slowed down and finally topped the 8844.43-meter (29,035-foot) peak a little more than six hours later.
The 19-member final assault team consists of both ethnic Tibetans and Han Chinese, including university students and female climbers. They were spearheaded by ethnic Tibetan Nima Tsering and deputy head Luo Shen who is Han Chinese.
About 30 climbers, including the mountaineering team and the cameramen, scaled Mt. Qomolangma in gusty winds and freezing temperature.
The first four torchbearers are Gigi (female, ethnic Tibetan), Wang Yongfeng (male, Han Chinese), team captain Nima Tsering (male, ethnic Tibetan) and Huang Chungui (male, Han Chinese).
The climbers unfurled the Chinese and Olympic flags at the summit. Some took off their oxygen masks while topping the peak.
"I feel so good as the torchbearer. I know every climber wants to be a torchbearer," Gigi, a two-time Qomolangma climber, told the China Central Television (CCTV) ahead of the ascent.
The Olympic flame was kept in a specially-designed metal canister during the ascent. As the team neared the top, the 28-year-old Norbu Zhamdul, a three-time Qomolangma climber who carried the lantern on his back, opened the lantern, ignited the torch and then passed it to the 39-year-old Gigi.

Chinese Mountaineering Team members and mountaineering training school members pose for a photo after they successfully pave the ascent route above the altitude of 8300 meters to Mount Qomolangma on May 7, 2008. (Photo credit: Suolang Luobu/Xinhua)
The torch stayed alight and bright against strong winds, as all the torch, lighter and lantern used for the Qomolangma expedition are high-tech items capable of withstanding gale-force winds, low temperatures and the oxygen-thin air atop Mt. Qomolangma.
"We had planned to take the torch to the top in late April, but strong winds and heavy snow had delayed us again and again. This week we had the first period of good weather," said Li Zhixin, chief of the Base Camp Headquarters of the Torch Relay Qomolangma Leg.
"It is a strong team. Everyone is excellent and I feel so proud of them. We kept our promise and have made our own contribution to the promotion of the Olympic spirit," added Li, a well-known climber himself.
The Olympic flame's first Qomolangma trip was live televised by the CCTV.
Tsering Daintar, a younger brother of the last torchbearer Wangmo, scaled the summit as a CCTV cameraman.
Daintar is a student of the Tibetan Mountaineering School, whose principal Nima Tsering led Thursday's ascent.
The Beijing Olympic torch relay is the longest and most ambitious one, traveling 137,000 kilometers across five continents in 130 days. The torch returned to the Chinese mainland at the beginning of May and is touring South China's boomtown Shenzhen on Thursday.

Olympic torch relay sets off in Guangzhou

GUANGZHOU, May 7 (Xinhua) -- The relay of the Olympic flame resumed on Wednesday in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong province, after the relay's start on the Chinese mainland wrapped up in Hainan.
The torch relay in Guangzhou will cover 40 kilometers with 208 torchbearers to carry the torch amid cheers and jubilation from thousands of local supporters.
The relay started at the Guangzhou International Convention Center at 8:10 a.m., local time, and is set to pass Hill Top Park, Yuntai Garden, Guangzhou Arts Museum, Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum, Chen Ancestral Temple, Beijing Road, Haiyin Park, Consulate District Square and reach the celebration site at the Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Complex.
Folk artists performed traditional Chinese lion and dragon dances around the starting point before a large crowd of spectators that had gathered to watch the launching ceremony.
The torchbearers include athletes, entertainers, workers, teachers, students and volunteers, with some high-profile torchbearers like Olympic gold medalist Yang Jinghui, Swedish diver Ulrika Margarata Knape-Lindberg, former Chinese national soccer coach Shen Xiangfu, three-time fencing Olympian Dong Zhaozhi and actor Chen Kun.
First torchbearer Yang Jinghui, a Guangzhou native, won a gold medal in the synchronized 10m platform diving competition with Tian Liang in the 2004 Athens Olympics.
"It's a great honor for me to be selected as the first runner," said the 24-year-old Yang. "I am an athlete, a student and a volunteer, so I can represent all three kinds of people."
Yang had previously carried the torch for the 2006 Doha Asian Games and 2007 Guangzhou National University Games.
"It's quite a different feeling to hold the Olympic torch," Yang said.
Dong Zhaozhi, a Guangzhou native and fencing silver medalist at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, will run the last leg of the relay, which is scheduled to end at 6:00 p.m.

Sacred flame hits the beach

Updated：2008-05-05
(QIONGHAI, Hainan, May 5) -- After short visits to special cities in Hainan Province, the Olympic torch relay is scheduled to tour the capital, Haikou, on Tuesday, May 6, reported Hainan Evening News.
On Monday morning, the city of Wuzhishan celebrated the torch relay along its short 1.2 kilometer route. Only 6 torchbearers had the honor of carrying the flame here, representing the shortest relay along the flame's entire international and domestic journey.
Nevertheless, the sacred flame was celebrated with intense fervor, and involved perhaps the most uniquely cultural ceremonies, with representatives of ethnic minorities showcasing distinct traditions.
Soon after the conclusion of the relay in Wuzhishan, the sacred flame left for the coastal city of Wanning. Before arriving in the city proper, the sacred flame made a short tour of the holiday district of Xinlong and took a break at breathtakingly beautiful Shimei Bay. The entire 16.63 kilometer long Wanning leg of the relay finished after 180 minutes, with the help of 113 torchbearers.
With hardly enough time to breathe, the escort team hurried the flame off to its next stop, the Qionghai region, where the sacred flame first took off from the meeting site of the Bo'ao Forum for Asia. At 4:40 p.m., the flame began its tour of the city of Qionghai itself. This section of the route took a total of 13.51 kilometers, 120 minutes, and the efforts of 89 torchbearers.
Around 10 p.m., the lantern holding the sacred flame is scheduled to arrive in Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province. Bright and early on Tuesday morning, at 8:00, the sacred flame will begin its 30.2 kilometer route through the city.

Beijing Olympic torch relay in Sanya concludes

SANYA, South China, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Olympic torch relay in south China's Sanya concluded at the senic spot of TianyaHaijiao on Sunday.
Pop star Jackie Chan and Pu Huifang, head of a small town in Sanya, who run as the last torchbearers, kindled the cauldron at 5:56 p.m. local time, prompting loud cheers and applauses from the spectators.
The torch relay started from the Phoenix Island, passing the Crown of Beauty Center, Haiyue Square of Sanya Gulf and Haihong Square. A total of 208 torchbearers from all works of life run through the 30.09-kilometer route.
During the torch relay, tens of thousands local people lined the route, chanting support for the Beijing Olympic Games. The Olympic "five-ring" flags and red flags laid all over the sidewalk along the route.
This was the first leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay in the Chinese mainland. The sacred flame will go to Wuzhishan city on Monday.

Beijing Olympic torch relay concludes in Macao

MACAO, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Olympic torch relay in Macao concluded at 18:53 local time on Saturday as Leong Heng Teng, member of the Executive Council of the Macao government, lit the cauldron at the Fisherman's Wharf.
Starting from 15:50 p.m. the torch relay lasted for more than three hours. More than a thousand of audiences gathered at the performing ground of the Fisherman's Wharf, cheering and waiving national flags, regional flags, and Olympic flags. They all wished a successful relay of the Olympic torch after the Macao leg, and that the Olympic spirit of peace, friendship and improvement will be passed on to the next stop.
A total of 120 torchbearers together finishing the 27 kilometers relay. They started from Fisherman's Wharf, then went pass Golden Lotus Square, Ruins of St. Paul's, A-Ma Temple, Headquarters of the Macao Government, Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho, Sai Van Bridge, Macao Tower, Macao Cultural Center, and finally went back to the Fisherman's Wharf as the finishing point.
The relay also took place on Chinese dragon boats at Sai Van Lake, featuring the traditional Chinese culture.

Beijing Olympic torch relay concludes in HK

Updated：2008-05-02 From：Xinhuanet
Hong Kong's star cyclist Wong Kam-Po who ran as the last torch bearer, lighted the cauldron.
HONG KONG, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Olympic torch relay in Hong Kong concluded at 16:56 local time on Friday as Wong Kam Po, a world champion cyclist, lit the cauldron at the Golden Bauhinia Square on the southern coast of the Victorian Harbor.
As Wong, also the last torch bearer, ran into Golden Bauhinia Square, he was greeted by hundreds of people waving red flags and chanting support for Beijing Olympics.
"The torch relay in Hong Kong has successfully completed, but the Olympic spirit of friendship, peace and harmony will pass on forever," said Timothy Tsun-Ting Fok, president of Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, said at the closing ceremony.
"We expect a successful Beijing Olympic Games and a good performance of Chinese athletes including those from Hong Kong," said Fok, also the second from last torchbearer.
The 20th leg of the Beijing Olympic torch relay started from the Hong Kong Cultural Center on the northern coast the Victorian Harbor at 10:28 am local time on Friday.
The passion during the first relay in Chinese territory was drastically lit up. Cheers could be heard all through the city as large crowds lined the route despite spells of drizzle. Flags, banners, placards of good-will were far and near.
One hundred and twenty torchbearers covered a 26-km route, passing by such landmarks as Tsing Ma Bridge, Sha Tin racecourse and the Avenue of Stars before the torch was ferried across the Victoria Harbor onto the Hong Kong Island.
Among the 120 torchbearers, there are top athletes, celebrities, officials, business tycoons, students and teachers.
Horses, dragon boats and a sightseeing ship were used to carry the Olympic flame during the torch relay.

Welcome to Beijing: Singers celebrate 100-day Olympic countdown at Tai Miao

Hosts and hostresses preside the grand awarding ceremony on April 30, 2008. (Photo credit: Zhang Yu)
(BEIJING, April 30) -- Nearly a hundred singers that included Jackie Chan, Emil Chau, Wang Lee-Hom, Gigi Leung gathered at Tai Miao at the Beijing Working People's Culture Palace to celebrate the 100-day countdown to the Beijing Olympic Games on the evening of April 30.
The party began at 7:30 p.m., when singers performed a range of Beijing Olympic songs as a prelude for the real treat a half hour later, the first live rendition of "Beijing Huan Ying Ni" ("Welcome to Beijing"), which was written especially for the occasion.
Afterwards, an awards ceremony was held to recognize 30 outstanding Olympic songs and 10 outstanding Paralympic songs, including "Light the Passion Share the Dream," composed by Chris Babida and written by Huang Xiaomao; "I Am A Star," composed by Emil Chau and written by Lam Jik; and "Smile Beijing," written and composed by Chen Ying. The latter two songs were named the theme songs for the Olympic and Paralympic volunteer programs, respectively.
In addition, Aifly, Zhengzhou Synear, China Mobile, China Record Corporation, People's Music Publishing House and Radio Beijing were recognized as outstanding organizations, and FAW-Volkswagen was recognized for its special contributions.
Feng Jianzhong, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Sport, Cai Fuchao, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor of Beijing Municipality, BOCOG Executive Vice-President Liu Jingmin, BOCOG Executive Vice-President Jiang Xiaoyu, Tang Xiaoquan and other municipal and BOCOG officials presented the awards.
Organized by BOCOG, the evening's celebration activities were sponsored by FAW-Volkswagen, with media support by China Mobile.

A group of stars sing "Beijing Welcomes You" during a gala celebrating the 100-day Olympic countdown on April 30, 2008. (Photo credit: Zhang Yu)