© BOCOG

The lighting ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Torch Relay officially took place today at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China. The Paralympic Flame was lit using the optical focus of a concave mirror, thus demonstrating the “integration of Heaven and Man”, a core concept of traditional Chinese culture.

The Torch Lighting Ceremony welcomed Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, IPC President Sir Philip Craven, BOCOG President Liu Qi, Executive Vice President of the China Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF), Deng Pufang, BOCOG Executive Vice President Tang Xiaoquan as well as other high-ranking officials from China.

The theme of the relay is “Transcendence, Integration and Equality”, with a total length of 13,181 kilometres. There are 850 planned torchbearers and two different routes, with people with a disability accounting for 20% of the partipants. The “Ancient China” route includes Huangdi Mausoleum, Xi’an, Hohhot, Changsha, Nanjing and Luoyang. The “Modern China” route includes Shenzhen, Wuhan, Shanghai, Qingdao and Dalian. The relay lasts nine days from 29 August to 6 September, with the two routes occurring simultaneously.

On 5 September, the routes will converge in Beijing, and one day later the Paralympic Flame will reach the National Stadium to light the cauldron for the Opening Ceremony.

The Torchbearers were selected by the relay cities, CDPF, IPC, BOCOG, the Beijing Disabled Person’s Association and Paralympic sponsors.

The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Torch Relay will be used to showcase the perseverance of athletes with a disability, and provide an opportunity to raise awareness for the Paralympic Movement. It is also an opportunity to promote the development of persons with a disability in China, with an important cultural heritage and legacy.

For more information about the Beiijng 2008 Paralympic Games, please visit the official website at www.beijing2008.com.

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Notes to the Editor:

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, and serves as the International Federation for nine sports, for which it supervises and co-ordinates the World Championships and other competitions. The IPC is committed to enabling Paralympic athletes to achieve sporting excellence and to developing sport opportunities for all persons with a disability from the beginner to elite level. In addition, the IPC aims to promote the Paralympic values, which include courage, determination, inspiration and equality.

Founded on 22 September 1989, the IPC is an international non-profit organization formed and run by 162 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) from five regions and four disability specific international sports federations (IOSDs). The IPC Headquarters and its management team are located in Bonn, Germany.

For further information, please contact Steffi Klein, IPC Media and Communications Senior Manager, on e-mail: steffi.klein@paralympic.org or go to www.paralympic.org and www.ParalympicSport.TV.