Hangzhou, China, June 15, 2023: The Olympic spirit was burning brightly in Hangzhou on Thursday when the flame-lighting ceremony for the 19th Asian Games took place at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City.
In a serene and moving ceremony, the flame was lit from the sun’s rays as organisers celebrated the 100-day countdown to the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The flame-lighting ceremony also pointed the way forward to the Torch Relay, which will start along the West Lake - Hangzhou’s most famous tourist landmark - on Friday, September 8 and continue through 11 cities in Zhejiang province.
The relay will run until September 20, when delegates from National Olympic Committees throughout Asia will take their turn in carrying the torch for 50 metres in a symbol of unity.
The Asian Games Digital Torchbearer Online Relay Campaign was also launched on Thursday at Smart Hangzhou 2022. Asian Games supporters can search for "Asian Games" on Alipay and become "Asian Games Digital Torchbearers" by accessing "Smart Hangzhou 2022."
By doing so, participants will help spread the flame of the Hangzhou Asian Games across Asia in the digital world and participate in an innovative digital lighting ceremony during the opening ceremony – the first in the history of the Asian Games. Aside from that, participants will have a chance to win tickets to the Asian Games, as well as Asian Games-themed gifts.
Elsewhere on the 100-day countdown, Chinese athletes and members of the international community in Hangzhou posted messages of congratulations and pride and invited the public to join in the excitement of the 19th Asian Games, which will run from September 23 to October 8.
