The Olympic torch will pass all 18 districts and Chongming County in Shanghai during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay on May 20 and May 21, the Beijing Olympic Committee said yesterday, a local news Website reported today.

Shanghai will hold a torch-lighting ceremony on Donghai Bridge in Nanhui District on May 20 when the torch arrives from Zhejiang Province, Eastday.com said.

Torch bearers will relay the torch across Fengxian, Jinshan, Songjiang, Qingpu, Minhang and Changning and Xuhui districts. They will then take it to Century Avenue and Bingjiang Boulevard in Pudong New Area via the Nanpu Bridge in Xuhui District.

After that, the torch will be taken to the former Shiliupu pier in Huangpu District by ferry. It will then pass Zhongshan No.1 Road E. of Huangpu District.

Another ceremony will be held in Century Square on Nanjing Road E. at the end of the first day, the report added.

On May 21, the torch will be lit near the Memorial Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Luwan District, and then relayed to Jing'an, Putuo, Zhabei, Hongkou and Yangpu districts. It will be ferried to Chongming Island from Baoyang Road pier and then ferried to Baoshan District from Shidongkou pier.

The torch will then move into Jiangsu Province after a ceremony in Anting Motor City in Jiading District.

The city has selected 416 torch bearers. Each will run less than 200 meters as the torch relay covers a total distance of 83 kilometers.

The relay will last 10 hours each day, the report added.

Police will adopt traffic controls during the relay, previous reports said.

Shanghai's Metro authority will make plans to cope with bigger crowds as some roads will be blocked.

The Shanghai Public Security Bureau said it is working on emergency plans to ensure safety during torch-relay activities.

The torch relay is scheduled to begin in Greece on March 24.

The journey will cover 137,000 kilometers, the longest in history, and last 130 days and involve 22,000 torch bearers worldwide.

(Shanghai Daily March 21, 2008)