The torch for the Doha Asian Games arrived in Beijing Saturday,
for a four-hour-long relay run through the Chinese capital here on
Sunday.
The relay started at Tian'anmen Square, winding past some of the
city's most famous sites such as the National Theatre, the Drum
Tower, the Lama Temple, the Former Asian Games village and the Ming
Dynasty relic park before finally reaching the Temple of
Heaven.
A total of 89 torch-bearers participated, including some Chinese
Olympic gold medal winners, top show-biz stars and other selected
people from different walks of life. Their efforts were watched by
thousands of spectators, loudly cheering as they lined the relay
route.
The 15th Asian Games torch, lit ablaze on October 8, will travel
more than 50,000 kilometers during its 55-day tour through 15
countries and regions before reaching its host city in Qatar.
(Xinhua News Agency October 23, 2006)
