Special report: 2008 Olympic Games

    By sportswriter Zhang Rongfeng

    SHAOSHAN, Central China, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic flame arrived at Xiangtan and county-level city Shaoshan, birthplace of Chairman Mao Zedong, taking the last leg of torch relay in Hunan province on Thursday.

Yang Xia, the first torchbearer and Chinese Olympic weightlifting Champion, begins to run with the flame after the launching ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay at Dongfanghong Square in Xiangtan, known as the hometown of Mao Zedong, central China's Hunan Province, June 5, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Following a one-minute silence tribute to those killed in May 12 Sichuan earthquake, the relay started from the East Red Square at 8:10 a.m. local time, going through Lotus Road, Shuangyong Road, Three Bridge Road, Hutan Square, Fuzhou Road, North City Ring, Hunan Science and Technology University, covering 15.8 kilometers to reach the Xiangtan University, the end of the first-segment relay.

    With 168 bearers in Shaoshan passing the torch, the relay moved to Shaoshan, 50km away from Xiangtan, to have the remaining 40 torchbearers carrying the torch over a distance of 2.8 kilometers.

    The second leg relay passed through Red Sun Square, Hero Road,Station Road, Mao Zedong's Home to wrap up the relay in Mao Zedong Bronze Statue Square.

Torchbearer Mao Yushi (L3) passes the flame to the next torchbearer Xie Zhenhua in front of the Former Residence of Chairman Mao Zedong during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shaoshan, known as the hometown of Mao Zedong, central China's Hunan Province, June 5, 2008.  (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    A donation ceremony was held to raise money for the post-quake reconstruction in Sichuan.

    The first torchbearer was Sydney Olympic wightlifting champion Yang Xia.

    "It's a great honor for me to carry the first torch here in the hometown of the great Chinese leader," said Yang.

    The last one was a firefighter named Jiang Aibing, who was in arescue squad sent to the quake-hit region.

    "It's a huge honor for me to become a torchbearer. I hope I can also become a bridge connecting the Olympic spirit and the quake region," said 30-year-old Jiang.

    "I hope to pass the Olympic spirit and Olympic dream to the quake survivors. I hope they can get more and more adamant in the reconstruction.

    "Although I ran only 100m with the Olympic torch, but it's a brilliant part of my life."

    Mao Zedong's nephew Mao Anping ran in the 198th place.

Torchbearer Mao Anping(R), son of Chairman Mao's cousin Mao Zelian, passes the flame to the next torchbearer Huang Zhigang during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Shaoshan, known as the hometown of Mao Zedong, central China's Hunan Province, June 5, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Shaoshan is a county-level city in Xiangtan, Hunan Province. It is best known as the birthplace of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China.

    Shaoshan is also the birthplace of Mao's Family Restaurant, a popular restaurant chain that has spread to many other cities.

    Peng Dehuai, born on October 24, 1898, was another renowned figure born in Xiangtan. He was a prominent military leader.

    After the Hunan relay, the Olympic flame is flying to the summer resort of Guilin in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

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