Olympic Torch Relay Route in Beijing Opens to the Public


As the 2008 Olympics draws near, the Olympic Torch Relay is also coming to an end. The relay will finish its last leg in Sichuan province and arrive in Beijing on Tuesday evening. Starting from Wednesday, the torch will travel around Beijing for three days until the opening ceremony on Friday. To learn more about the relay in Beijing, here is our reporter He Fei.

Reporter:

After its long journey all through China and other continents, the Beijing Olympic Torch will finally arrive in Beijing on Aug 5th and tour around the city from Aug 6th to Aug 8th, the opening day of the 2008 Olympics. The sacred flame will travel through Beijing's 18 districts and counties and the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Areas, starting from the Forbidden City and ending at the Olympic Youth Camp, which is located at the 101 Middle School near the Old Summer Palace.

Sun Xuecai, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sport, says the relay route will show the world an all-new Beijing.

"The torch relay activities in Beijing center on the theme 'New Beijing, Great Olympics'. They will highlight the achievements of the city and showcase the many charms of Beijing as a national capital; and an international, historic and great city. The route will herald the city's long history, rich culture and its modernization, including the changes taking place in the new countryside."

The torch relay route is a good combination of the cultural, historical side of Beijing and the energetic, modern side of the city. For example, the torch will pass by the Badaling Great Wall, the Heavenly Temple, the Grand Canal in Tongzhou District and then to the Remains Site of the Peking Man in Zhoukoudian, Fangshan District. In addition to these popular tourist sites, the Olympic flame will also pass through many modern parts of Beijing like the newly-built National Center for the Performing Arts.

Sun Xuecai, deputy director of the local sports bureau, said they have contingency plans in place in case the weather plays truant to ensure a successful relay.

"The Beijing Meteorological Observatory is providing us weather forecasts. For the three-day event, we've got detailed contingency plans to deal with any kind of weather that could affect the relay."

The route spans 40 kilometers, while 841 torch bearers will participate in the relay. The torch bearers come from all walks of life, from super stars like Yao Ming to ordinary workers and even disabled people. The oldest torch bearer is an 85-year-old retired teacher and the youngest one is a middle school student who is only 13.

He Fei, CRI NEWS.