Xinhua
Fuzhou (China), May 11 (Xinhua) The Olympic flame will start its relay Monday in Quanzhou and Xiamen, the home city of millions of overseas Chinese and a special economic zone in China’s southeastern Fujian Province. It will be the sacred flame’s second and third stop in the Fujian province and the relay will cover 20.35 km with 108 torchbearers in Quanzhou and 17.4 km with 100 torch-bearers in Xiamen.

The Quanzhou’s relay route is going to set off on the square of China Museum for Fujian-Taiwan, pass by Riverside Road, Linzhang Gate, Jiangbin Sports Park, Dapingshan Tunnel, and end on the square in front of The Straits Sports Center of Quanzhou City. The flame will leave for Xiamen at 12:00 a.m. Monday.

The torch relay in Xiamen will start at 14:00 local time from Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center. The relay, entitled “harmonious route”, will go through a number of renowned scenic spots, including Huandao Road, Yanwu Bridge, Gulangyu Island, Yundang Lake, Egret Park, which highlighted Xiamen’s seaside landscape and harmonious living environment.

Quanzhou is known as one of the famous hometowns of overseas Chinese and the major ancestral homes of the Taiwan compatriots of the Han nationality. It is one of the 24 renowned historical cities of cultural significance in the first batch made public by the State Council, and also the starting point of the ancient “Maritime Silk Route”.

Xiamen, located at the southeastern coast of Fujian, is one of China’s five special economic zones, and a rapid developing city in the province. It has long enjoyed its soubriquet of the “garden on the sea”, known for its clean air, tidiness and comfortable living environment. In 2004, the city was awarded the UN Habitat Scroll of Honour as one of “the best places to live”.
Xinhua