Olympic torch arrives in Beijing

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

BEIJING - The Olympic torch's global odyssey began its final leg in the heart of Beijing on Wednesday, two days ahead of the Games, with basketball icon Yao Ming and astronaut hero Yang Liwei carrying the flame.

Thousands of people waving Chinese flags gathered in the historic Tiananmen Square and elsewhere along the relay's route in an event that was broadcast on national television and showcased genuine national fervour for the Games.

The final stages in Beijing will mark an end to the most ambitious and controversial torch relay in Olympic history, after protests dogged its global journey and the domestic leg was overshadowed by the Sichuan earthquake.

But for many Chinese, the torch relay and in particular its final moments in Beijing, were a time for celebration.

"Amid the aspirations and well wishes of the people of the entire city, it will complete its harmonious journey welcoming the grand opening of the Games," Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong said at a ceremony in Tiananmen to start the leg.

The 130-day relay crossed 19 countries before returning to China for a three-month tour that included an historic ascent of Mount Everest.

In Beijing, Yang, the astronaut who in 2003 became the first Chinese to make it into space, was the first torchbearer, carrying the flame from Tiananmen Square, the political and historic heart of the city.

Yao Ming, one of China's most famous and loved athletes alongside 110m hurdles champion Liu Xiang, was the ninth person to carry the flame.

Acclaimed film director Zhang Yimou, who is orchestrating the much anticipated Olympic opening ceremony, was also scheduled to carry the flame on Wednesday.