Asian Games organizers unveil route for the torch relay
Luo Xuejuan (right), gold medalist in the women's 100-meter breaststroke at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, and Alibaba Group CEO Zhang Yong pose during the 19th Asian Games torch relay in Hangzhou on Friday.
The organizing committee of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou released the torch relay itinerary on Wednesday.
The torch relay will begin at West Lake's Yongjin Square in Hangzhou on Friday, according to Du Zuofeng, deputy chief of the Hangzhou Asian Games Torch Relay Command Center.
The torch will be carried through Huzhou, Jiaxing, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Zhoushan, Taizhou, Wenzhou, Lishui, Jinhua, and Quzhou, all in Zhejiang Province, before returning to Hangzhou, the provincial capital, on September 20.
On the first day in Hangzhou, 106 people will carry the torch along the 5.2-kilometer-long path, beginning at Yongjin Square and ending at Moon over the Peaceful Lake in Autumn, one of West Lake's top 10 scenic attractions.
"The selection of the torchbearers for the Hangzhou Asian Games takes into account the representativeness of people from all walks of life, particularly those who have made significant contributions to the Hangzhou Asian Games and the city," added Du.
The Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games flame was lit at the Liangzhu City Park on June 15.
The relay involves about 2,000 torchbearers, ranging in age from 14 to 84. There are 732 female carriers, 1,219 grassroots workers, 1,069 model representatives, 275 sports workers, a number of physically challenged, and torchbearers from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.
Badminton world champions Chen Yufei and Wang Yilu, swimming world champions Wang Shun and Ye Shiwen, and table tennis world champion Fan Zhendong are among them.
People wave flags to cheer for the torchbearers.
Model employees include State Grid's Xu Chuanzi, Ningbo Zhoushan Port's Zhu Shijie, West Lake University's Professor Shi Yigong, Beihang University's Professor Ning Xiaoling, and Alibaba Group CEO Zhang Yong.
The torch relay routes have been simplified to adhere to the Hangzhou Asian Games' philosophy of "green, smart, frugal, and civilized." All the routes will reflect the development of Zhejiang as well as the poetic Jiangnan (regions in the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) perspective.
The torch relay will begin on Friday in Hangzhou and commence a provincial tour of Zhejiang.
Hangzhou's "splendid and prosperous new paradise" approach, for example, focuses on urban growth; Liangzhu civilization and West Lake reflect a historical and cultural metropolis thriving on innovation and energy, as well as a good ecological environment.
Other cities have their own distinct traits. "Red Boat Leads the Future and Builds Dreams" in Jiaxing, "Coastal Ningbo Sails the World" in Ningbo, "Millennium Commercial Port" in Wenzhou, and "City of Youth with Beautiful Mountains and Waters" in Lishui all highlight their exceptional features, such as history, culture, and natural landscape.
Temporary traffic control will be enforced along the routes and adjoining roads. The torch relay will adopt two-way, fully closed traffic control, barring all vehicles.
To minimize the impact on people, police will implement traffic management measures, authorities say.
