Hong Kong will be first Chinese stop for Olympic torch
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Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing (third from left) holds the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch at a January 30 press conference. Cheering him on are (from right to left): Honorary Secretary General of the SF & OC Pang Chung, Director of Leisure and Cultural Services Thomas Chow, President of the SF & OC Timothy Fok, Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Carrie Yau and Deputy Director of Leisure and Cultural Services (Leisure Services) Vincent Liu. |
The spirit of the Olympic Games will radiate in Hong Kong when the Olympic flame arrives in the territory on April 30 and the Olympic Torch Relay is held on May 2.
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay in Hong Kong is being organized by the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF & OC) and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG).
Speaking at a January 30 press conference, Hong Kong Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing said the event will be a glorious chapter in Hong Kong sports history, one in which Hong Kong people will take pride.
The summer Games will be the first-ever to be held on Chinese soil, a dream Mr. Tsang said that Hong Kong people have shared with the Mainland for a century. He added that it is Hong Kong’s honor to co-host the Olympic equestrian events. Hong Kong will be the first Chinese stop after the Olympic flame is carried through 19 cities across five continents.
The government has been working closely with the SF & OC and has established a steering committee to monitor and undertake all special tasks relating to the Hong Kong torch relay. Mr. Tsang says he hopes all Hong Kong residents will share the joy of the Games in witnessing this historical moment.
President of the SF & OC Timothy Fok said the torch relay is one of the most important events of the Games.
“It symbolizes the passing of the Olympic spirit from generation to generation,” said Mr. Fok, who also appealed for everyone to embody the ideal — “One World One Dream” — of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
The Olympic Torch Relay in Hong Kong will take eight hours on May 2, starting at the Piazza of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui and finishing at the Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai. A closing celebration will follow.
The Olympic flame will be carried through Kowloon, the New Territories and Hong Kong Island by 120 torchbearers, who will run or use various modes of transportation, including cars, dragon boat and vessel.
The route will pass through the city’s major landmarks and scenic spots. They include Tsing Ma Bridge, Shing Mun River, Hong Kong Olympic Equestrian Venue (Sha Tin), Sha Tin Racecourse, Avenue of Stars, Victoria Harbour, Legislative Council Building, Olympic Square in Hong Kong Park and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Home Affairs Department is organizing a community celebration at the Sha Tin Racecourse.
To further boost the Olympic atmosphere, roving exhibitions about the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Torch Relay will be held throughout the city between March and May. A Web page [www.lcsd.gov.hk/TorchRelay/en/index.php] with comprehensive information on the relay was launched at the press conference.
After its jaunt through Hong Kong, the Olympic flame will be transported to Macau and major cities on the Mainland before arriving at Beijing on August 8 for the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
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