"We Are Waiting For the Olympic Torch!"

The coming of the Olympic torch was an event that caused a lot of excitement for Shantou and its people.On May 10 the torch relay made its way to Shantou. The last stopover among four cities in Guangdong province, Shantou started her flame-lighting ceremony in a strong rain at 8 AM.

The Olympic torch relay in Shantou took 10 hours to make the 48-kilometer journey. The torches were carried by 208 torchbearers most of whom were born in Shantou and have made great contributions to either local or national athletics. The runners included a weightlifting coach and champion, six world diving champions and other outstanding citizens from Shantou.

Both streets that the torches were expected to pass by or streets nearby the route were crowded with people turning out for the Olympic torch. Some of them were from Chaozhou, a city next to Shantou, as well as representatives of other towns around Shantou. Some of them arrived at their spots along the route in the early morning. Although it rained most of the time during the torch relay, a man exclaimed , “The rain can not extinguish our passion!”after the torch passed the Lin Baixin Times Square.

Hundreds of people still stayed to cheer the Olympic an hour after the relay in the Square Road next to Lin Baixin Square. They shouted loudly, “Come on China, Come on Shantou” and then sang the national anthem together over and over again as some beat gongs and drums.