Olympic torch lights up HK (hktdc.com)


	Olympic gold medallist Lee Lai- shan (left) receives the Olympic torch from Chief Executive Donald Tsang while Beijing Olympiad Organising Committee Executive Vice-President Yang Shu'an (right) and Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Gao Siren, look on

	Swimmer Sze Hang-yu, the 64th torchbearer, delivers the Olympic Flame on a dragon boat

Hong Kong's Olympic gold medallist, windsurfer Lee Lai-shan, headed a list of 119 bearers who carried the Olympic torch through the city on 2 May. Thousands of people, most of them wearing red to show their enthusiastic support, lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the torch as Beijing Olympic fervour reached a feverish pitch. Thousands more took some time off from their work to watch the relay from their offices in highrise buildings.

It has been 44 years since Hong Kong last welcomed the flame to the city. Hong Kong is the first city in China to welcome the flame after its global journey across five continents. HKSAR Chief Executive Donald Tsang said: "As a cosmopolitan city of China, Hong Kong is uniqely placed to play a bridging role between the peoples of the world and the people of our country."

In a city which is regarded as the business hub of Asia and one of the freest markets in the world, the lineup of torch bearers reflected different aspects of Hong Kong society. Athletes, befittingly made up the majority of the torchbearers, while the rest included business people, politicians, entertainers and a mixed bag of community representatives, from teachers to doctors.

The bearers carried the torch on a seven-hour relay which began at the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. On the historic journey through the city, the torch travelled by dragon boat, horse and even a golf cart and made a memorable trip across the spectacular Victoria Harbour.

The relay was in keeping with the Olympic spirit and lived up to Beijing's oft repeated description of the relay as a "journey of harmony." There was none of the trouble that had marred the relay in other parts of the world. It remained a peaceful and dignified occasion. Champion cyclist Wong Kam-po, the last runner in the torch relay, lit the fire in a cauldron, amidst wild cheers and clapping, at a closing ceremony held in the Golden Bauhinia Square near the waterfront Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Macau was the next destination for the Olympic torch after Hong Kong.