(URUMQI, Xinjiang, June 17) -- Excited fans were greeted with the scene of Paralympian athlete Wang Yanhong lighting the flame cauldron at 11:53 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, in front of Xinjiang Sports Center, marking the end of the Torch Relay in Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Wang took the gold for China in archery in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Urumqi is the first stop of the relay in Xinjiang. In the afternoon, the sacred flame will make its way to Kashi for a relay scheduled the next day. The construction of Xinjiang Sports Center was completed in December of 2005. Currently, it stands as the most comprehensive, most technologically advanced sports venue in China's western region. The center includes an outdoor stadium with room for 50,000 audience members, a gymnasium that can hold 7,000 fans, a running track, football training field, a general training center, and tennis courts, among other facilities. Hours before the scheduled start of the Torch Relay, Xinjiang residents were out eagerly awaiting the launch in front of Urumqi People's Square. Abuduxikeer Mijiti, a boxer of Uyghur descent, took off from the launch site as Tuesday's first torchbearer. The athlete is famed around China as the title holder of several national boxing tournaments. Under the skilled training of the "Boxing King," Xinjiang has produced many boxing champs. For a total of 12.5 kilometers, 208 torchbearers carried the sacred flame past Urumqi's unique sites. To celebrate the relay, traditional ethnic singing and dancing followed the flame, performed at designated sites along the route, showcasing the capital's distinct and diverse culture. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is located in the western section of China, bordering 8 other countries. About 21 million residents live on its 1.6 million square kilometer area, which equals about one-sixth of China's entire land territory. 55 of China's ethnic minority groups call Xinjiang home. Urumqi, the capital, is the region's center of economics, politics, and culture. About 2.6 million people live in the picturesque city, which has jurisdiction over seven districts and one county. Historically, Urumqi was a stop on the northern Silk Road, making it a very important post for economic and cultural exchange between the east and west. Today, within its multiethnic communities, traditions still stand strong, and the unique ethnic flavors give Urumqi strong appeal. (Photo credit: Miao Lidong)
Wang Yanhong, Paralympic champion, holds up the Olympic torch.
Wang Yanhong, last torchbearer in Urumqi, lights the flame cauldron at Xinjiang Sports Center.
Wang Yanhong triumphantly puts both hands in the air.
