2008 Summer Paralympics torch relay

Planned Route

In 2007, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games announced the torch relay route, composed of three parts:

• The International Route, which includes Vancouver and Whistler (the host cities of the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games), London (the host city of the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games), Sochi (the host city of the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games),Macau and Hong Kong (the co-host NPCs of the 2008 Summer Paralympics);
• The route of Modern China, which includes Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Qingdao, Dalian and Tianjin; and
• The route of Ancient China, which includes Beijing, Huangdiling (The Tomb of Yellow Emperor), Xi'an, Hohhot, Ürümqi, Chengdu, Changsha, Nanjing and Luoyang.

Change of the route

In July 2008, the Beijing Games' Organizing Committee announced that the planned four international torch relay cities and four national cities for the Paralympic Games had been cancelled. The Committee stated that the relay was being cancelled to enable the Chinese government to "focus on the rescue and relief work" following the Sichuan earthquake.

Despite the officially stated reason for the cancellation, The Guardian attributed it to China's wish to avoid "a repeat of the protests" which had occurred in a number of cities around the world during the Olympics torch relay. Similarly, The Times wrote: "China has cancelled the international leg of the Paralympic torch relay, which was due to pass through London, in an apparent attempt to avoid similar protests to those that dogged the Olympic torch’s global tour." Reuters reported simply: "China, whose Beijing Olympic torch relay was dogged by protest overseas, on Wednesday cancelled the international leg of the Paralympic torch relay, giving the devastating Sichuan earthquake as the reason."

The relay started from Tiantan on August 28 and then divided to two parallel lines before coming together in Beijing:

The route of Modern China

1. Beijing
2. Shenzhen
3. Wuhan
4. Shanghai
5. Qingdao
6. Dalian
7. Beijing

The route of Ancient China

1. Beijing
2. Xi'an
3. Hohhot
4. Changsha
5. Nanjing
6. Luoyang
7. Beijing

Lighting

• Date: August 28, 2008
• Place: Tiantan, Beijing, China
• Host and hostess in post-ceremony and pre-ceremony: Pu Cunxin, Yang Lan
• Host of the ceremony: Guo Jinlong, Mayor of Beijing, Executive President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games
• Speeches:
  • Deng Pufang, President of the Chinese Disabled Person's Association, Executive President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games
  • Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee
  • Liu Qi, President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games
• Gather Flame: Jiang Xintian
• Urn Holder: Jin Jing, a famous Paralympic athlete
• Lighting the Flame: Liu Qi
• Cauldron Lighter and Begin Announcer: Wen Jiabao, Premier of People's Republic of China

Relay Summary

Final Relay in Main Stadium

Chinese athletes with disabilities carried the torch in Beijing National Stadium during the Games' Opening Ceremony. Jin Jing carried the torch into the stadium, before it was passed on to Paralympic gold medallists Wu Yunhu, Zhang Hongwei, Zhang Haidong, Sun Changting and Hou Bin. Hou then pulled himself up on a rope to the top of the stadium to light the Paralympic flame.

References

References

1. "Paralympic torch relay route announced at one-year countdown".
2. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080630182453/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-06/25/content_8436905.htm "International torch relay for Beijing Paralympic Games cancelled"], Xinhua, June 25, 2008
3. [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/jun/22/olympicgames "Torch relay cancelled"], ''The Guardian'', June 22, 2008
4. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080917104738/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4219451.ece "China cancels Paralympic torch relay"], ''The Times'', June 27, 2008
5. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160306134615/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-paralympics-torch-idUKPEK30825620080625 "World Paralympic torch relay cancelled"], Reuters, June 25, 2008
6. "Paralympic torch to be lit on Aug. 28".
7. "Full Coverage of the Paralympic Flame Lighting Ceremony".
8. "Paralympic torch relay in Xi'an concludes".
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10. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080907012220/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/31/content_9745712.htm Beijing Paralympic Torch relay in Changsha]
11. [http://www.cctv.com/english/20080902/103302.shtml Paralympic torch relay in Nanjing]
12. [http://www.cctv.com/english/20080904/101058.shtml Paralympic torch relay begins its journey in Luoyang]
13. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080907012333/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/30/content_9739293.htm Paralympic Torch relay run in Shenzhen]
14. [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-08/31/content_6984513.htm Beijing Paralympic Torch Relay held in Wuhan]
15. [http://rss.xinhuanet.com/newsc/english/2008-09/01/content_9749506.htm Paralympics torch lands on Shanghai]{{dead link. (July 2022)
16. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110519151311/http://english.cri.cn/2886/2008/09/02/168s401387.htm Paralympic Torch Relay in Qingdao]
17. "Paralympic Torch relays in Dalian".
18. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080907012107/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/05/content_9800320.htm Paralympic torch sets off Beijing relay in highlights]
19. "2nd day of Paralympic torch relay in Beijing".
20. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080907024208/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-09/06/content_9813271.htm "Seven Parlaympians to pass Paralympic flame at opening ceremony"], Xinhua, September 6, 2008
21. [https://www.cbc.ca/sports/2.720/paralympics-opening-shows-what-can-be-achieved-1.741391 "Paralympics opening shows what can be achieved"], CBC, September 7, 2008