Torchbearer Zheng Meizhu display at the launching ceremony the torch during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Fuzhou, capital of southeast China's Fujian Province, on May 11, 2008.
FUZHOU, Southeast China, May 11 (Xinhua) -- The Olympic torch relay in Fuzhou, the capital city of southeastern China's Fujian province, kicked off at 9:39 a.m. local time on Sunday.
At the launching ceremony, Zheng Meizhu, the former volleyball Olympic champion, took the torch from a local official in the Wuyi Square, running as the first of the 208 bearers.
"I'm extremely excited and honored at this moment. It's quite different from being an athlete to go all out for an Olympic medal. As a torchbearer, I felt I shoulder the responsibility of passing on the love and friendship to the world," smiling Zheng told reporters.
A large number of spectators witnessed the launching ceremony, with national flags and Olympic flags waving, and hundreds of citizens performed Chinese traditional drum dancing from the starting point.
The 28-kilometer Fuzhou relay started on the Wuyi square in the center of the city, set to pass local landmarks and historic sites, including Three Hills and Two Pagodas, Three Alleys and Seven Lanes, Luoxing Tower and Taijiang Dock. The relay will end at the Wanglongtai Park, where a celebration is going to be held.
Fuzhou is a famous historic and cultural city on the southeastern coast of China with a history of more than 2,200 years, and also a pivotal gateway on "the silk road via the sea".
The city is also a famous hometown for overseas Chinese. There are 2.7 million overseas Chinese, and Hong Kong, Macao compatriots with the origin of Fuzhou living in more than 110 countries and regions in the world.
After the tour of Fuzhou, the Olympic flame is set to carry on its relay in Quanzhou, the second stop in Fujian province, on Monday.
译文:
奥运圣火开始福州传递
2008年5月11日，火炬手郑美珠在2008年北京奥运会火炬接力中国福建省省会——福州站的起跑仪式现场展示祥云火炬。
新华网福州5月11日电——于周日当地时间早上9：39分，奥运圣火在中国东南部福建省省会福州开始传递。
在起跑仪式上，前奥运冠军中国国家女子排球队队员郑美珠在五一广场从当地一名官员手中接过火炬，作为208名火炬手中的首棒火炬手起跑出发。
“这一刻我感到无比的兴奋与自豪。这种感觉与作为运动员去争夺奥运金牌的感觉非常不一样。作为一名火炬手，我感受到了身上肩负的重任——把爱和友谊传递给全世界，”郑美珠笑着对记者说。
国旗和奥运会会旗迎风飘扬，无数观众见证了这场起跑仪式。从起跑那一刻开始，成百上千的公民表演了中国传统的鼓舞。
福州28公里的火炬接力从市中心的五一广场开始，经过主要地标和历史古迹，包括三座山、两座塔、三条小巷、七条大道、罗星塔公园和台江码头，最后抵达望龙台公园。城市庆典活动也将在望龙台公园举行。
福州市我国东南沿海历史文化名城，至今已有2200多年历史，也曾是“海上丝绸之路”的重要门户。
福州也以海外华人华侨之乡而著名。住在110多个国家和地区的海外华人华侨、香港和澳门同胞中，有270万人祖籍福州。
结束福州之旅后，奥运圣火的传递星期一将在福建省第二站泉州继续.