The Olympic Torch Relay headed towards the opening ceremony of the Winter Games in Beijing on Feb 4 with the help of luminaries from the world of sports and diplomacy.
On its way to the opening ceremony, the Olympic flame was carried through the three competition zones in Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangjiakou. The torch relay was greeted with enthusiasm along its entire route which was shortened by measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
LI HE / XINHUA
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach and President of the 76th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations and Foreign Minister of Maldives Abdulla Shahid celebrate their torch relay in Beijing on Feb 4.
HUANG WANQING / XINHUA
Students in a school in Rwanda’s capital Kigali watch the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022 Olympics on Feb 5 local time. The nation’s telecommunication facilities have improved thanks to Chinese support to hundreds of villages.
LI HE / XINHUA
Juan Antonio Samaranch Salisachs, IOC vice president and chairman of the Coordination Committee for Beijing 2022, joins Chinese IOC member Li Lingwei in the torch relay at Beijing Olympic Park on Feb 4.
XINHUA
Eleven-month-old Wang Yuji’s snowboarding exploits grab the imagination of netizens this winter, with a video clip of the toddler going viral on social media platforms.
DING HAITAO / XINHUA
Singaporean President Halimah Yacob tries out paper-cutting with a veteran Chinese inheritor of the non-tangible cultural heritage inside the Great Hall of the People on Feb 5.
XINHUA
Sledding in Qinhuangdao, North China’s Hebei province, on Feb 4, as people’s enthusiasm for winter sports heats up.
LI HE / XINHUA
Former United Nations chief Ban Kimoon joins Chinese athlete Zhang Hong in the torch relay in Beijing on Feb 4.
PENG ZIYANG / XINHUA
A lantern holding the seed of the Olympic Torch in Beijing during a ceremony on Dec 16.
MENG CHENGUANG / XINHUA
A small robot gets ready for underwater relay of the Olympic torch in a Beijing park on Feb 2.