While in east China's Qingdao, another co-host city of the Beijing Games, also hailed the birth of the holy fire which is expected to arrive in Beijing on March 31 after a tour in Greece.
"As a member of the organising committee, I feel so proud and stressed as well on the lighting of the Olympic flame," said Li Rongxi, a key official with the Shenyang soccer competition organising committee. "Anyway, a good start makes half the success."
Northeast China's Shenyang, witnessing the Chinese men's soccer team reaching the finals of the 2002 World Cup for the first ever time in history, is one of the soccer competition co-host venues. Among others are Tianjin, Shanghai and Qinhuangdao.
"Now the Beijing Olympics are 137 days out and the competitions here are 135 out, so we will keep on working in the countdown days and will pay attention to every single detail in build-up to the event," said Li, also serving as the director of the Shenyang Sports Bureau.
The 2008 Olympic torch was lit on Monday in Ancient Olympia, marking the start of the domestic and international torch relay that will end on Aug. 8 with the Games' opening ceremony.
The Beijing Games relay is the longest and most ambitious ever planned, lasting 130 days and covering 137,000 kilometers (85,000 miles) worldwide.
Qingdao, a harbour city of east China's Shandong province, will host the sailing competition between Aug. 9-21.
"After igniting the flame in Greece, the torch will be handed all around the world. Since the inception of the torch relay, we will watch the relay closely everyday, and by doing that we know the Olympics are coming to us day by day," Zhu Yuetao, deputy secretary of the Beijing Olympics sailing competition organising committee, said with a beaming face after watching the official lighting of the Olympic flame.
As a member of the sailing organising committee, Zhu has been working on it for five years, known as one of the most veteran staff.
"Since the torch relay of the Athens Olympics, I have been waiting for the flame to come to my homeland (Qingdao), so just thinking about the lighting of the flame makes me feel thrilled!"
However, Zhu also stressed the pressure the official lighting put on the shoulder.
"The flame told us that it is time to be a nice host and entertain our guests well, so we must work much harder and hit top gear in run-up to the sailing competition," added Zhu, also a local torch bearer.
The lighting was also hailed by Qingdao native and Paralympic athlete Li Ke, who is now training with teammates in South China's Hainan for September's Paralympics.
"A paralympic athlete, I feel honored to be selected as a torchbearer," said Li, who is training in a sailing camp and might be possibly drafted to the national team.
"On watching the flame, I decided to take the chance (of bearing the relay) to unveil the Chinese Paralympic athletes' spiritual morale, and I will tell the world that strength can beat any difficulties," Li said. "Wish the torch relay a good journey."
The seaside city has been preparing a first-class venue, tight security, and rapid and convenient transportation for the masterpiece event. Test events held in 2006 and 2007 have also proved triumphant.
The torch relay will reach Qingdao on July 24 and will tour the city for six hours from 8 am to 2 pm. A total of 138 bearers will take part in the torch relay.
Qingdao, with clean air and beautiful scenery, is expected to attract 200,000 visitors when the sailing event is held.
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