Macao hosts China's National Games torch relay in festive spirit

MACAO -- The torch relay for the Macao session of China's 15th National Games was held on Sunday morning, filling the city with festive energy and pride as the flame made its way through some of Macao's most iconic landmarks.

The relay began at the headquarters of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government. Chief Executive Sam Hou-fai lit the first torch and handed it to Li Yi, who won the women's changquan gold medal for Macao at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

Covering a total distance of about 2.6 kilometers across the Macao Peninsula, the route passed several renowned landmarks and concluded at the Ruins of St. Paul's, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with a total of 50 torchbearers participating.

The final torchbearer Kuok Kin-hang, who won a bronze medal in the men's karate at the 14th National Games to become Macao's first-ever medalist at the Games, carried the flame up the steps in front of the Ruins of St. Paul's and lit the cauldron amid cheers.

"I feel very honored and happy to be the final torchbearer," he told Xinhua, adding that it can be an experience "remembered for a lifetime."

The torch relay for the 15th National Games was held simultaneously on Sunday in Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, marking the first cross-boundary torch relay in the history of the Games and the first time the torch has been carried in Hong Kong and Macao.