In the past 27 days

the sacred flame ignited in Yan'an, 

a former revolutionary base,

has been passed through 13 cities and districts in Shaanxi,

with the collaboration of several hundreds of torchbearers.

On the morning of September 12, 

the flame was sent back to Xi'an 

for the 14th, and the last stop, of the torch relay.

National Games

At 8:30 a.m., the lighting and launching ceremony of the torch relay was held at Xi'an International Convention and Exhibition Center where attendees cheered for the coming activity in a lively atmosphere.

Moments of torchbearers   

After the national flag raising and national anthem singing, Xue Ying, the first torchbearer, slowly ran down the ceremony stage with the torch held high, meaning the torch relay in Xi'an was officially started.

The 99 torchbearers participating in this torch relay are excellent representatives of all walks of life in Xi'an, including medical workers, teachers, athletes, representatives of poverty alleviation and other grassroots workers who have witnessed the changes of the city and contributed their own strength to the development of the city.

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Feng Jiachen, the popular "roly-poly dancer" and a "Spokesperson for Shaanxi Culture and Tourism", served as the 8th torchbearer of the torch relay.

On both sides of the relay route were enthusiastic spectators who gave applause and blessings to the torchbearers from time to time.

Highlights along the torch relay route

The torch relay started at Xi'an International Convention and Exhibition Center and ended at the central square of Xi'an Olympic Sports Center. The 9.9-km relay allows us to see a different Xi'an that is green, ecologically-conscious, modern and fashionable.

        

The magnificent International Convention & Exhibition Center links Xi'an more closely with the world.     

The Ba River, with its clear water and lush banks, forms a beautiful ecological picture.    

Chang'an Music (Chang'an Yue ), a cultural exchange center, is elegant and magnificent like a few strands of ribbons and the notes dancing by the water in the new Chang'an, hence the name "Chang'an Music". The project includes a media center, an opera house (2049 seats), a concert hall (1500 seats), a multi-purpose theater (500 seats) and a movie theater.

   

Eight hundred meters away, Chang'an Cloud (Chang'an Yun), the city exhibition center, is simple and smooth, like a nebula floating over the water, hence the name "Chang'an Cloud". The three parts of the project, namely the Technology Exhibition Center, the Sky Restaurant, and the Planning Exhibition Center, will become a new showcase window for Xi'an.      

Xi'an Olympic Sports Center(XOSC) is modern and stylish, with "one stadium and two gymnasiums", namely a 60,000-seat stadium, an 18,000-seat hall and a 4,000-seat swimming and diving hall located in a "品" pattern. As the main venue of the 14th National Games, Xi'an Olympic Sports Center is responsible for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 14th National Games, as well as important competitions such as athletics, swimming, diving and synchronized swimming.       

At 10:28 a.m., the sacred flame was put back to the kindling light as the 99th torchbearer Wu Yanan, a Shaanxi-born martial art athlete, arrived at the central square of Xi'an Olympic Sports Center. Passing 14 stops, the 28 days' torch relay of 71.85 kilometers ended successfully.

The flame in the XOSC will light the main cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 14th National Games on Sep. 15 and the Special Olympic Games on Oct. 22. Only one day to the opening ceremony of the big event. So looking forward to it!