The Olympic torch began its final leg in the heart of Beijing on Wednesday, with genuine excitement among the city's millions replacing the controversy that often surrounded its global journey.
Thousands of people waving Chinese flags gathered in historic Tiananmen Square in an event that was broadcast on national television and showcased national fervour for the Games, now just two days away.
Astronaut hero Yang Liwei was the first to carry the flame, followed minutes later by basketball icon Yao Ming, who was mobbed by enthusiastic fans under the portrait of Yao Ming, founder of Communist China.
By the end of the day's four-hour relay, 433 people were to have taken the torch through the streets of the capital, including 29 foreigners, the Beijing Times said.
The final stages in Beijing mark an end to the most ambitious and controversial torch relay in Olympic history, after protests dogged its global journey and the domestic leg was overshadowed by the Sichuan earthquake.
Souce AFP
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