IOC Coordination Commission Chairman Hein Verbruggen (L) and Chinese State Councilor Chen Zhili hold the Beijing Olympic torch in this April 26, 2007 file photo. The Olympic torch relay will make an appearance in Tiananmen Square on the eve of the Summer Games, local media revealed Thursday. [Agencies]
BEIJING - The Olympic torch relay will make an appearance in Tiananmen Square on the eve of the Summer Games, local media revealed Thursday.
It will arrive in Tiananmen in central Beijing after circling the world and going through every province and region of China in the run-up to the Olympics that start August 8.
"The torch will arrive at Tiananmen Square before it reaches the National Stadium, where the opening ceremonies will be held,鈥?Xiang Gongmin, director of the Beijing Cultural Bureau was quoted as saying. 鈥淎nd there will be about 100,000 people in the square to welcome it. An amazing gala will celebrate its arrival.鈥?/P>
The Tiananmen celebration is part of the city鈥檚 efforts to showcase its cultural heritage. During the Games, a series of Olympic-themed cultural events will be held.
Organizers of the Beijing Games have planned the longest torch relay in Olympic history - a 137,000 kilometer (85,000-mile), 130-day route that will cross five continents.
The route will also see the flame reach the world's highest peak, Mount Qomolangma, known as Everest to the West. Technicians are confident the Olympic flame will weather the gales, hail storms and thin air to burn brightly on the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) summit.
The Olympic flame was introduced to the modern Olympics in 1928.
Ahead of each Games, the torch is lit at Olympia in Greece 鈥?the original site of the ancient Olympic Games - and transported to the host city by a relay of runners, with the last one igniting a cauldron during the opening ceremony.