The torch relay for the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games was held between August 28 and September 6 in eleven cities, and also included the tomb of Yellow Emperor.
| Host city | Beijing, China |
|---|---|
| Countries visited | China |
| Torch bearers | 900 |
| Theme | Transcendence, Integration, Sharing |
| Start date | August 28, 2008 |
| End date | September 6, 2008 |
Planned Route
In 2007, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games announced the torch relay route, composed of three parts:
- The route of the Paralympics Games Host Cities, which includes Vancouver and Whistler (the host cities of the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games), London (the host city of the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games), Sochi (the host city of the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games) and Hong Kong (the co-host NOC of the 2008 Summer Paralympics);
- The route of Modern China, which includes Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Qingdao, Dalian and Tianjin; and
- The route of Ancient China, which includes Beijing, Huangdiling (The Tomb of Yellow Emperor), Xi'an, Hohhot, Ürümqi, Chengdu, Changsha, Nanjing and Luoyang.[1]
Change of the route
In June 2008, the Beijing Games' Organizing Committee announced that the planned four international torch relay cities and four national cities for the Paralympic Games had been cancelled. The Committee stated that the relay was being cancelled to enable the Chinese government to "focus on the rescue and relief work" following the Sichuan earthquake. The torch relay was held exclusively within China.[2]
Despite the officially stated reason for the cancellation, The Guardian attributed it to China's wish to avoid "a repeat of the protests" which had occurred in a number of cities around the world during the Olympics torch relay.[3] Similarly, The Times wrote: "China has cancelled the international leg of the Paralympic torch relay, which was due to pass through London, in an apparent attempt to avoid similar protests to those that dogged the Olympic torch’s global tour."[4] Reuters reported simply: "China, whose Beijing Olympic torch relay was dogged by protest overseas, on Wednesday cancelled the international leg of the Paralympic torch relay, giving the devastating Sichuan earthquake as the reason."[5]
The relay started from Tiantan on August 28 and then divided to two parallel lines before coming together in Beijing:[6]
The route of Modern China
The route of Ancient China
Lighting
- Date: August 28, 2008
- Place: Tiantan, Beijing, China
- Host and hostess in post-ceremony and pre-ceremony: Pu Cunxin, Yang Lan
- Host of the ceremony: Guo Jinlong, Mayor of Beijing, Executive President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games
- Speeches:
- Deng Pufang, President of the Chinese Disabled Person's Association, Executive President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games
- Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee
- Liu Qi, President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games
- Gather Flame: Jiang Xintian
- Urn Holder: Jin Jing, a famous Paralympic athlete
- Lighting the Flame: Liu Qi
- Cauldron Lighter and Begin Announcer: Wen Jiabao, Premier of People's Republic of China[7]
Relay Summary
| Route | City | Date | Place | Start from | Ends at | Length(km) | Torchbearers(Disabled Torchbearers) | First Torchbearer | First Torchbearer's Title | Last Torchbearer | Last Torchbearer's Title | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Route of Ancient China | Xi'an | Aug 29, 2008 | On the city wall | Tower of East Gate | Barbicans of the South Gate | 3.1 | 70(11) | Zhang Hui | one of China's National Top Ten Disabled Athletes | Li Huimin | a disabled entrepreneur | [8] |
| Huhehaote | Aug 30, 2008 | Genghis Khan Square | Hohhot Stadium | 3.1 | 70 | Yang Zhimin | Chairman of the Disabled People Association of Inner Mongolia | Chen Guoyi | Disabled entrepreneur | [9] | ||
| Changsha | Aug 31, 2008 | Changsha Women's and Children's Center | Hunan Swimming Center | 3 | 70(13) | Zhu Weimin | Swimming Gold Medalist in 1996 Summer Paralympics | Tan Yuehua | Disabled Police | [10] | ||
| Nanjing | Sep 2, 2008 | Boai Square, Zhongshan Tomb | Jinshuiqiao Square, Ming Xiao Tomb | 3 | 60(12) | Hou Jingjing | First wheelchair female doctor of china, vice professor of Nanjing Normal University | Zhou Zengfu | Coach of Paralympic Athletic | [11] | ||
| Luoyang | Sep 4, 2008 | Longmen Grotto | Longmen Grotto | Longmen Stone Square | 3 | 60(9) | Zhu Hongyan | WR holder and Paralympic Gold Medalist | Liu Zhengwei | Executive secretary of the Luoyang Disable Persons' Association | [12] | |
| The Route of Modern China | Shenzhen | Aug 30, 2008 | Mountain Lotus | Statue of Deng Xiaoping | Baiyi Square | 3.1 | 70(20%±) | Liu Hong | 4th in Women's 20 km Walk in Beijing Olympic | Shen Jianping | Photographer with one arm | [13] |
| Wuhan | Aug 31, 2008 | Wuhan Economic and Technology Development Zone | Wuhan Sports Center Stadium | Wuhan Sports Center Gymnasium | 3 | 60(10) | Cheng Yu | Bronze Medalist of Women's Single TT6 and Gold Medallist of Women's Team TT6 of 1988 Summer Paralympics | Wen Qin | Athletic Gold Medallists of FESPIC Games | [14] | |
| Shanghai | Sep 1, 2008 | Songjiang New City | Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade | Shanghai Sunshine Recover Center | 3 | 60(10) | Zhao Jihong | Athletic Gold Medallist at the 1984 Summer Paralympics | Pang Jiaying | Swimming Silver Medalists and Bronze medalists of 2008 Beijing Olympics | [15] | |
| Qingdao | Sep 2, 2008 | Square of the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center | May 4th Square | 4.25(1 km over the sea) | 70(20%) | Wu Chunmiao | Gold Medalist of Women's 200m T11 in 2004 Athens Paralympics | Zhou Yafei | Bronze Medalists of Women's 4X100m Medley Relay in 2008 Beijing Olympics | [16] | ||
| Dalian | Sep 3, 2008 | Xinghai Square | Dalian Forest Park | 3.8 | 70(14) | Li Yang | Chairman of the Dalian Disable Person's Association | Li Jinrui | Vice Chairman of CCP Dalian Committee | [17] | ||
| Beijing | Sep 5, 2008 | China Millennium Monument and Summer Palace | China Millennium Monument | 17 hole bridge of Summer Palace(include a "之" Shape over sea relay) | 6.5 | 120(30%) | Wang Juan | fencer | Zhou Hua | President of Beijing East City District Special Education School | [18] | |
| Sep 6, 2008 | Chaoyang Park | Lihua Square | Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Field | 5.5 | 120(40) | Xu Yuansheng | Coach of China Wheelchair Basketball Team | Zhao Jihua | Former President of China National Disabled People Association | [19] | ||
Final Relay in Main Stadium
Chinese athletes with disabilities carried the torch in Beijing National Stadium during the Games' Opening Ceremony. Jin Jing carried the torch into the stadium, before it was passed on to Paralympic gold medallists Wu Yunhu, Zhang Hongwei, Zhang Haidong, Sun Changting and Hou Bin. Hou then pulled himself up on a rope to the top of the stadium to light the Paralympic flame.[20][21]