Olympic flame lights passion in HK

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Source: CCTV.com | 05-03-2008 15:20

Before reaching Macao, the Beijing Olympic torch was carried through Hong Kong on Friday. One-hundred-and 19 torch bearers took part in the nearly-six-hour long relay, as thousands of onlookers cheered them on. Big arrangements for the big run.

Before reaching Macao, the Beijing  Olympic torch was carried through Hong Kong on Friday.(qq.com)

The rain can't douse the passion for the Olympic flame. Big shots and ordinary people in the co-host city of the Summer Games want to be part of a historic moment.

For Hong Kong, it's a celebration.

Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR, said, "We are honored to be the first stop of the Olympic torch's relay on Chinese territory. As an international metropolis of the country, Hong Kong's unique role makes us as a bridge to connect people in China and around the world."

Torch bearers come from nearly all walks of life, but the first comes first. Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medalist, Lee Lai-Shan, gets things running.

And the day also belongs to the young. Table tennis prodigy Chiu Chung-hei might be the only Hong Kong resident who's taken on President Hu Jintao.

It's not a relay for the feet only. Hong Kong has combined the routine and the special, and Chinese and western ways, including dragon boats, stagecoaches and even horses.

Hong Kong's star cyclist Wong Kam-Po ran the last stage and lit the cauldron. The Olympic flame next heads for nearby Macao.