Ruijin, a moment of silence when Olympic torch passeing through

May14,2008

The Beijing Olympic torch relay in Jiangxi Province started from Ruijin at 7:40 a.m. on Wednesday.

Before the relay started, all participants observed a moment of silence for the victims of the May 12 earthquake in southwestern China. Donation boxes will be set up at the finishing point to give people an opportunity to contribute to the disaster relief.

Delivering a welcoming speech for the torch relay, Mayor Fu Chunrong of Ruijin said that the Olympic flame will greatly boost the patriotic feelings of residents of Ruijin.

Pan Yiyang, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee and party secretary for Ganzhou City, said that like their compatriots across the country, Ganzhou residents will join in the relief efforts for earthquake-hit areas.

The torch was lit by Vice Director of the BOCOG Torch Relay Center Liu Baojie, who passed it to Wang Xiankui, deputy secretary of the CPC Jiangxi Provincial Committee, and subsequently to Pan Yiyang and to the first runner of the Ruijin leg Chen Xiaochun. A delegate to the 17th CPC National Congress, Chen is a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Ganzhou Municipal Committee and secretary of the CPC Ruijin Municipal Committee.

After Yeping, where the relay started, the flame will travel through the government of Ruijin City; "Red Well," a famous revolutionary site; the site of the People's Congress of the Soviet Republic of China (1931-1937) and will finish at the Ruijin Museum of the Soviet Republic of China, covering a length of 15km. A total of 208 torchbearers will participate in the relay, which is expected to end at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday.