Athens Olympic torch to pass through Beijing June 9

On the morning of June 9, 2004, a ceremony will be held in the square outside the eastern gate of the Great Hall of the People, to celebrate the lighting of the Athens Olympic torch and the start of the torch relay in Beijing. A special guest will ignite the first torch and hand it over to the first torchbearer. The relay in Beijing will take nearly nine hours, and end at the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) before 18:00.

The torch's route in Beijing has been meticulously designed, passing five districts of the city--Xicheng, Dongcheng, Chongwen, Chaoyang and Haidian. Hundreds of thousands of people alongside the route will witness the first ever Olympic torch visit to China.

China Central Television (CCTV), Beijing Television Station (BTV) and Beijing Radio Station will broadcast live the opening ceremony and the concluding evening gala. CNN and Eurosport will specially cover and broadcast the Beijing leg worldwide.

The BOCOG official website, in collaboration with People's Daily Online, will broadcast live the whole relaying course to share the exciting moments with vast Internet surfers.

The broadcast will start at 9:00 am, June 9. The BOCOG Official Website and People's Daily Online will invite noted hosts to preside over the broadcasting.

During the relay, torchbearers will take 15-minute breaks at two rest stations, located respectively at the northern gate of the Imperial Palace (Gugong) and the Olympic Sports Center. Organized fitness activities will be staged outside the rest stations to demonstrate Beijing citizens' spirit and enthusiasm.

The 148 torchbearers for the Beijing leg were either publicly selected or recommended by the International Olympic Committee, the Beijing Municipal Government, the Chinese Olympic Committee, Coca-Cola and Samsung. The torchbearers are representatives from various ethnic groups aged between 14 and 73. Among the torchbearers are model workers from all walks of life, celebrities, famous athletes, as well as ordinary citizens and sports fans.

Following the arrival of the final torchbearer to the Summer Palace and the subsequent lighting of the cauldron, a gala event will formally open. The CCTV-organized gala will be a 60-minute performance featuring national culture, along with a message of greetings to Beijing citizens from Greek artists attending the event.

The Athens 2004 Games marks the return of the Olympic Movement to its place of birth and modern revival. To celebrate the event, the Olympic Flame Relay this time will unite the whole world by passing through all five continents. This will be the first time for people from five continents to have the opportunity to attend, share and celebrate the Olympic torch relay. The activity will last 78 days, including 35 days outside Greece, and cover a total distance of 78 000 kilometers, with 1500 kilometers finished by 3600 torchbearers. About 260 million people throughout the world will have the chance to witness the flame.

Source: beijing-2008.org