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BEIJING: The Beijing Olympic Torch Relay kicked off on Monday in the heart of China's capital city with an elaborate ceremony to welcome the flame which arrived from Greece.
The flame is scheduled to depart from Beijing on Tuesday for the Kazakh city of Almaty, the first stop in its global tour of 135 cities.
The pomp and pageantry began even before the plane carrying the Olympic torch touched down in China.
A large crowd gathered at the Beijing International airport to welcome the flame that would countdown the start of China's Olympic year.
The crowd broke out in cheers when it was handed over to torchbearers who would carry it into Tiananmen Square for the welcome ceremony.
Security was tight as human rights protestors and Tibet independence activists threatened to cast a shadow over China's upbeat campaign for its first ever Olympics.
The square had been sealed off since Sunday night and security personnel were stationed at surrounding buildings and nearby subway stations. But the mood was no less festive.
President Hu Jintao lit the cauldron and then handed over the flaming aluminium torch to Chinese World Champion hurdler, Liu Xiang.
Even though ordinary Chinese were not allowed near ceremony, organisers made sure the festive mood was spread across the country through its live broadcast and extensive media coverage.
For many, the torch's arrival in Beijing, is an occasion to remember.
Over the next 129 days, 21,880 torchbearers will cover 137,000 kilometres before the flame returns to Beijing on 8 August for the opening ceremony of the summer Games. - CNA/vm
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