May 31st, according to the official website of the Olympic Games - At 8:00 today, the official torch relay at Wuhan station began. The Olympic gymnastics champion Yang Wei became the first torchbearer in Wuhan.
The starting ceremony of the relay in Wuhan was set in the Yellow Crane Tower Park. The Yellow Crane Tower is a historical and cultural label for Wuhan, which was originally built during the Three Kingdoms period. "My friend bid farewell to the west of the Yellow Crane Tower, under the March fireworks he sailed down to Yangzhou. His lone sail's distant shadow vanishes in the blue sky; I only see the endless flow of the Yangtze River toward the horizon." The immortal poems by Li Bai and others made the Yellow Crane Tower famous around the world.
At 6:00 in the morning, there were already many people gathering around the Yellow Crane Tower Park, cheering for the Olympic torch relay. Before the start, all participants observed a one-minute silence for the victims of the Wenchuan earthquake, and many people around the Yellow Crane Tower Park silently prayed for the earthquake-stricken areas.
It was reported that the organizers also hung banners along the way such as "One area in difficulty, support from all sides" and "United as one, with a common will," and set up donation boxes to facilitate donations from citizens to the disaster areas. The entire relay activity was themed around "Olympic Flame Jingchu Journey, Hubei-Sichuan People Heart-to-Heart" and "Harmony Journey", while the artistic performances previously arranged at the start and end ceremonies were cancelled.
In accordance with the principle of "emphasizing simplicity and focusing on practical results," the distance of the torch relay in Wuhan was reduced from the original 42.5 kilometers to 20.7 kilometers, which would be completed by 208 torchbearers. After setting off from the Yellow Crane Tower, the torch would then cross the "First Bridge of Ten Thousand Miles of the Yangtze River" - the Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge, heading towards the First Uprising Square. Inside the square, there are scenic spots such as the Red Building, relics of the Xinhai Revolution, the Wuchang Uprising Memorial Hall, Sun Yat-sen Statue, and the Huangxing General Platform. The torch follows the inner ring road, reaching Hongshan Square - the first large open square in Wuhan, and also a well-known fitness venue for the public in Wuhan. Subsequently, the torch passes through the Hubei Provincial Government and Provincial Party Committee, arriving at the Fangying Platform, where one can enjoy the beautiful scenery of East Lake, the largest lake within a city in China.
Next, the torch will pass through the second Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge from Wuchang to Hankou. The torch relay in Wuhan will end at the beautiful Hankou riverside. As an excellent place for leisure and entertainment for ordinary people, the riverside realizes the harmony between people and the river, fully demonstrating the characteristic of Wuhan's riverside location. The entire relay route extends along the Yangtze River, fully showcasing Wuhan's history and even more proud urban civilization.