The Beijing Paralympic flame will be lit by the sun at the Temple of Heaven on Thursday, marking the start of its relay, Games organizers said yesterday.

"From Aug 29 to Sept 6, the nine-day long Beijing Paralympic torch relay will be conducted simultaneously along two routes - Ancient China and Modern China," Jiang Xiaoyu, executive vice-president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), said.

"The Paralympic flame will be lit at the Temple of Heaven to help integrate heaven and man, a core concept of traditional Chinese culture, embodying the Chinese people's pursuit of harmony between man and nature," Jiang said.

The flame will be lit from the rays of the sun captured in a concave mirror in the same way the Olympic flame was lit.

The Ancient China route will start at the Temple of Heaven and pass through well-known ancient Chinese capitals or cities of historic and cultural significance, including Xi'an, Hohhot, Changsha, Nanjing, and Luoyang, showcasing Chinese civilization and beautiful scenery.

The Modern China route will also begin at the Temple of Heaven and pass through some of the nation's most developed cities, such as Shenzhen, Wuhan, Shanghai, Qingdao and Dalian.

"The Modern China route not only highlights the leading role of eastern coastal areas in the nation's economic development during reform and opening, but also embodies the achievements of central China's economic growth," Jiang said.

On Sept 5, the two Paralympic torch relays will converge in Beijing and reach the National Stadium for the opening ceremony on Sept 6.

There will be a total of 850 torchbearers.

People with disabilities will account for about 20 percent of them.

As scheduled, there will be 60 torchbearers in each city, and each one will carry the flame for about 50 m. As the host city, Beijing will have more torchbearers.

(China Daily August 23, 2008)