The second day of the Olympic torch relay began atop the Great Wall yesterday, with Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan and Chinese Olympic medalists among those taking turns carrying the flame.
Table tennis champion Ma Long and taekwondo star Wu Jingyu were among those who carried the red-and-silver spiral torch along the Badaling section of the Great Wall, where the morning temperature was minus-11 degrees Celsius.
"I woke up at 4am. This is my fourth Olympics. I'm very happy. I'm also cold," said the 67-year-old Chan, who was identified by his Chinese name Chen Gangsheng.
The torch relay, shortened to three days because of the Covid-19 pandemic, is nothing like the globe-spanning relay for Beijing's 2008 Summer Games, a tour that was disrupted by protests.
Badaling, the section of the Great Wall most often visited by tourists, is 70 kilometers northwest of central Beijing in the Yanqing district. The torch was to be taken to Zhangjiakou in Hebei province, where most of the snow events will take place.
The relay will end with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron in today's opening ceremony.
REUTERS
Jackie Chan takes part in the relay with fellow torchbearer Wu Jingyu before posing for photos with young fans. REUTERS, APP
