Torch relay for Hangzhou Asian Games to begin on Sept. 8

The torch relay for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, will begin in the host city on Friday, the organizing committee said at a press conference on Wednesday.

The relay will start from Hangzhou and then go through Huzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Zhoushan, Taizhou, Wenzhou, Lishui, Jinhua and Quzhou, all in Zhejiang Province, before returning to Hangzhou for the final stop on September 20.

Representatives of the 11 cities received the torches at the press conference. There will be a total of 2,022 bearers carrying on the torches during the relay. The youngest one is 14 years old and the oldest 84, with 732 of them being women and 275 from the sports circle.

The torch, entitled “Eternal Flame,” is inspired by the Liangzhu Civilization, the ruins of which are in Hangzhou, and symbolizes the inheritance of the Chinese culture through generations spanning 5,000 years.

The torch relay routes have been designed with different characteristics of each of the 11 cities. For example, the route in Hangzhou is about the local history of development. In Wenzhou, the route will display its long history as a business harbor. In Lishui, energy of the local youth will be highlighted.

The 19th Asian Games will be held from September 23 to October 8, featuring 481 events of 61 disciplines under 40 sports. The first gold medal be awarded on September 24 while the first esports match will also take place on the same day as an official medal event in the Asian Games history.