Torch relay scales Great Wall

The second day of the Beijing 2022 torch relay kicked off on Thursday atop the Badaling section of the Great Wall, with 40 torchbearers, including Olympic medalists and film stars, running the 1.47-kilometer route.

This section of the relay was led by table tennis star Ma Long, a five-time Olympic gold medalist. The 33-year-old said Beijing 2022 will encourage more people to fall in love with winter sports, and inspire them to sharpen their minds and bodies through sports.

As the first torchbearer of the day, Ma said he was honored to "be able to contribute a little to the Winter Olympics".

"I hope our foreign friends will learn more about Chinese culture while enjoying the Winter Games," he added.

Pang Qing, a figure skating silver medalist at Vancouver 2010, also participated in the relay. Since retiring from competition, Pang has invested her energy into promoting winter sports. In 2018, she and her partner, Tong Jian, opened the largest ice sports center in Asia, and have organized more than 60 free skating classes.

Pang said she felt excited to carry the flame as a representative of winter sports and hoped the current generation of athletes will "show the spirit of bravery and courage" at Beijing 2022.

"The torch symbolizes chasing away darkness and bringing light. I hope it can bring hope to all people in the face of the world's complexities," she added.

Other notable torchbearers in Badaling included actor Jackie Chan, Wu Jingyu, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and vice-president of the Chinese Taekwondo Association, and shooting athlete Yang Qian, who won two gold medals at Tokyo 2020.

Badaling is the most visited section of the Great Wall. It was an important military pass and line of defense for the capital during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Since opening to tourists in 1958, Badaling has welcomed more than 500 heads of state and government and played an important role in China's diplomatic exchanges.

The theme of the Badaling leg is "The Backbone of the Chinese Nation". According to organizers, this theme delivers a message that China is an open and peaceful country but is not afraid of enemies and will not back down when being threatened. It also symbolizes Chinese people's indomitable spirit and their fortitude to win.

The Olympic flame's first visit to the Great Wall dates back to June 8, 2004, when it arrived from the 28th Summer Olympics in Athens, and was displayed at the Mutianyu section of the wall in Beijing's Huairou district.

In Yanqing district, the torch relay also visited the International Grape Exhibition Garden, with around 50 torchbearers running a 2.47-km leg, before being transferred to neighboring city Zhangjiakou in Hebei province, also a competition zone of the Games, on Thursday afternoon.

The Olympic flame traveled five legs in Zhangjiakou, starting from Nihewan Ruins Park, one of the important origins of human civilization, passing through Desheng village in Zhangbei county, Qiaodong Industrial Culture Theme Park, and Chongli Fulong Ski Resort before ending at Dajingmen Cultural Relics Park.

The entire route in the Zhangjiakou area spanned 14.92 kilometers and featured 215 torchbearers. The leading torchbearer of this section was diver Wang Han, who won a gold medal at Tokyo 2020. Born in Hebei province, Wang said she was very excited to take part in the torch relay in her hometown and urged everyone to enjoy the fun of winter sports.

The 2022 Winter Olympic torch relay started on Wednesday morning, kicking off a three-day journey, with around 1,200 torchbearers taking part across the three competition zones-downtown Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou.

The final leg takes place on Friday when the relay will reach its final destination, the National Stadium, aka the Bird's Nest, for the opening ceremony, which begins at 8 pm local time.