XINING, Qinghai Province -- The Olympic flame concluded its journey through northwest China's Qinghai Province Tuesday morning in Xining, witnessing ethnic diversity and unity.
A local performer from the Tu ethnic group performs a tradional Chinese sports event during the Beijing Olympic torch relay in Xining, capital of Qinghai Province, June 24, 2008. [Xinhua] |
Xining, the provincial capital, is the last stop of the torch relay's 3-day Qinghai leg after Golmud and Qinghai Lake. The flame then left this vast and multi-ethnic province for Shanxi Province in mid-north China.
Li Chunxiu, a retired walking racer and bronze medallist in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, lightened the community cauldron at 10:15 a.m. in the closing ceremony in Xining Square.
"I'm very honored and excited to be a torchbearer," said Li. "The Olympic flame passes hope of the Chinese people as well as the Qinghai people's best wishes to their compatriots in quake-stricken areas."
Ethnic diversity marked the list of torchbearers in Qinghai. Nearly half of the 377 torchbearers chosen by Qinghai itself belong to minority ethnic groups, including 66 Tibetans. That number only ranks second after Tibetan torchbearers in neighboring Tibet Autonomous Region.
Qinghai is the most Tibetan-populated province in China. Nearly one-fifth of the province's 5.51 million population are ethic Tibetans. Three-fifth of the 10 Tibetan autonomous prefectures are located here.
"Today we have so many people gathering here to see the torch relay because it's an international and national event, shared by all ethnic people," said Xining's last torchbearer Li.
Moreover, all the first torchbearers in three stops are minority ethnic. In Golmud is "Tibetan Antelope Guard" Cega, in Qinghai Lake Mongolian doctor Dagar and in Xining Tajik academician Wu Tianyi.
