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Olympic torch in Lijiang, next stop Shangri-laTuesday, 10th June 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
The Olympic torch relay is passing through Lijiang today as it continues its path through Yunnan province toward earthquake-ravaged Sichuan. This morning, 13-year-old Zhang Zilan (张紫兰) of Wenchuan, Sichuan shared her torch relay responsibilities with 12-year-old He Zhensheng (和震生). Zhang is one the many children from the earthquake disaster zone that have been relocated to Lijiang, where they are now attending school. He, whose name Zhensheng literally means "born from a quake", was born during the deadly 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Lijiang in 1996. Tomorrow the torch will make its last stop in Yunnan in Shangri-la (Zhongdian). The next day, the ethnically Tibetan area of Shangri-la will hold its annual horse racing festival (赛马节), which was supposed to take place on Sunday but was postponed by the local government – thanks to reader Steph Jensen for notifying us of the postponement. Editor's note: If you have a story idea or a tip you'd like to share with GoKunming please feel free to contact us via our contact form. Image: clzg.cn Tags: Beichen, He Zhensheng, Lijiang, Olympic torch, Olympics, Shangri-la, Steph Jensen, Wenchuan earthquake, Wenlin Jie, Zhang Zilan, Zhongdian Olympic torch relay in Yunnan delayed by two daysWednesday, 28th May 2008 ~ Chris ~ Link ~ Comments (0)
During last week's three-day national period of mourning in China, many teahouses, restaurants, bars, clubs and other 'entertainment' venues closed or were shut down for three days. The Olympic torch relay, winding through mainland China en route to Beijing, also paused for three days. The torch's delay left Chinese Olympic officials with the new logistical challenge of getting the torch through all the previously planned destinations, but three days faster than before. Not surprisingly, the torch relay schedule has been delayed for several locations, including cities in Yunnan. Originally slated to pass through Kunming, Lijiang and Shangri-la from June 7 through June 9, the Olympic torch will now pass through the three cities from June 9 through June 11, according to Kunming media reports. Related article: China mourns Olympic torch to pass through Yunnan Tags: Beijing, Lijiang, Olympic torch, Olympics, Shangri-la, Wenchuan earthquake After its arrival on Saturday in Sanya, Hainan province, the Olympic torch (奥运火炬) has begun its winding path through the Chinese mainland, with Beijing its final destination on August 8. The torch will pass through all of China's administrative regions, including Yunnan from June 7 to June 9, according to a report on Sohu.com. The torch will make three appearances in Yunnan province, winding through the cities of Kunming, Lijiang and Shangri-la. Each city will feature 208 torch carriers, or 624 in total for the province, the Sohu report said, citing the Yunnan Provincial Athletic Bureau. Torchbearers were selected by the provincial government, city governments, China's Olympic committee plus corporate sponsors of the games.
Torchbearers in Yunnan will range in age from 15 to 82 and will include nationally famous policeman Fang Hongxiao (方红霄), singer Zongyongzhuoma (宗庸卓玛) and gold medalist paralympian swimmer Wang Xiaofu (王晓福), pictured above. Meanwhile, the third and final phase of Olympic ticket sales have commenced and will run through Friday. Initial reports suggest that this phase of ticket sales and distribution will be as trying as the previous two, with some purchasers luckier than others. Image: Sina.com Related articles: Kunming protestors vent anger at Carrefour Olympic torch to pass through Yunnan Tags: Fang Hongxiao, Lijiang, Olympic tickets, Olympic torch, Shangri-la, Wang Xiaofu, Yunnan Provincial Athletic Bureau, Zongyongzhuoma
Over the last several days, Carrefour locations throughout Kunming have been dealing with something different than the usual crowded aisles and long checkout lines. The French retailer has been targeted by protestors in Kunming and other major cities around China for allegedly supporting Tibetan independence, an allegation which the company's headquarters vehemently denies. Carrefour, which has 122 stores throughout China, was also subjected to protests in Beijing, Qingdao, Wuhan, Xi'an and Hefei over the weekend. The protests are partly a result of Chinese anger regarding the protests that dogged the Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay - particularly when a pro-Tibet protestor tried to wrestle the torch from the hands of fencer Jin Jing (金晶), who has one leg and uses a wheelchair. Chinese citizens are also upset with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has been contemplating boycotting the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on August 8 this summer in protest for China's handling of last month's riots in Lhasa. Both the torch incident and Sarkozy's public boycott musings have been cited by Chinese netizens as reasons for boycotting French goods and companies – with Carrefour at the top of the list. Ironically, some of the anger directed at Carrefour is connected to statements by Jack Cafferty, a commentator on US-based television network CNN. Cafferty created a new wave of anger among Chinese netizens when he referred to China as "goons and thugs", a statement that led to a showdown between China's Foreign Ministry and CNN, who apologized for Cafferty's remarks, saying he was only referring to the Chinese government. Spokeswoman Jiang Yu of the Foreign Ministry rejected CNN's explanation/apology for Cafferty's remark. Not all of the thousands of people at the Kunming protests were protesting Carrefour or CNN – some protestors were protesting the call to boycott Carrefour. The anti-boycott protestors were reportedly heckled and hit with a bottle of mineral water according to Kunming media reports. The small group of anti-boycott protestors jokingly calling for an end to the protests, saying they were tired of being bombarded with calls to boycott France. The group bore signs saying "Establish a harmonious society, oppose the boycott" and "Build a harmonious environment – welcome the 2008 Olympics". According to a Xinhua report, a man surnamed Zhu was leaving the Nanping Jie Carrefour on Thursday when he was accused by a group of protestors as being a "sellout to his country" (卖国贼), an accusation to which he responded "What are you doing boycotting Carrefour? More than half the stuff they sell is made in China!" Image: Reuters via Yahoo Tags: boycott, Carrefour, CNN, Jin Jing, Nicolas Sarkozy, Olympic torch Prior to the commencement of the Beijing Olympics next year, the Olympic Torch will go on its most extensive tour of the Chinese mainland ever. The International Olympic Committee has approved the torch's route - which includes appearances in Kunming and Lijiang.
The torch is modeled after ancient Chinese scrolls and features an 'auspicious cloud' design. Its casting was designed by the Lenovo Creative Center and the torch's burning system was designed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Group. The torch will be powered by clean-burning propane. Who will represent Kunming during the Olympic Torch relay? According to our sources, at least one Kunming resident will play a major role in the relay. More about that when he's back from his current trip up north... way north. Tags: Lenovo Creative Center, Olympic torch, Olympics, sports |
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