Wang Junxia, winner of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Women’s 5000 started the torch relay in her hometown

Bearing the torch in her right hand and the national flag in her left, Wang Junxia, winner of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Women’s 5000 started the torch relay in her hometown of Dalian last Saturday.

Dalian, one of the "Best Tourist Cities in China", is the last leg of the three-day, three-city torch relay in Northeast China’s Liaoning Province.

The 9.41 km relay was going on in the scenic Jinshitan resort of the city’s development zone. It strung together some famous scenic spots, including the Discovery Land theme park, the Golden Coast, the Geological Museum of China and the Chinese Wushu Gym.

Xia Deren, mayor of Dalian, was the last of the 208 torch bearers

Xia Deren, mayor of Dalian, was the last of the 208 torch bearers. After lighting the cauldron, he promised to build Dalian into an important international city in Northeast Asia in the light of the Olympic spirit.

The torch have traveled across the Bohai Bay to Qingdao last Saturday afternoon, the host city of the Olympic sailing regatta, and start its journey in Shandong province today.

(China Daily)