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(SAN FRANCISCO, April 7) – At 6:00 p.m. in Paris Monday evening, fans waved goodbye to the Olympic torch. After a short but sweet final ceremony, the sacred flame hopped on the chartered Air China flight to its next destination, an ocean away. The sixth stop of the global journey will take the sacred flame to its only stop in North America, San Francisco, California.
Relay Route
At 1:00 p.m. on April 9, California time, the sacred flame will start its tour of the famous American city.
Starting at McCovey Cove, the torch relay route extends a total of about 6 miles. In about an hour and a half, the sacred flame is expected to tour Third Street, hit the Embarcadero, journey to Jefferson Street, be carried through Hyde Street, be taken to Beach Street, and then to Polk Street. From there, the Olympic torch will continue on to Bay Street then re-enter the Embarcadero, finally ending at Justin Herman Plaza, where it will be sent off with a concluding ceremony signaling the end of the relay run in North America.
Torch will not pass through Chinatown
Although fans were quite enthusiastic about having the Olympic torch pass through the city which is so heavily populated by Chinese-Americans, after careful consideration, planners decided not to have the relay route journey through San Francisco's historic Chinatown. Because of the expected large numbers of people that will come out to see the flame, organizers were worried about safety issues while the torch was being carried down the narrow streets.
7 overseas Chinese torchbearers
On April 5, the forty torchbearers selected by San Francisco's municipal government for this leg of the sacred flame's journey were revealed. Seven of these forty are overseas Chinese citizens. An additional forty torchbearers, selected by the Beijing Olympic Committee, United States Olympic Committee, and other organizations, have been placed on the roster, bringing the total number of torchbearers to 80.
According to reports, 530 North Americans applied through an internet-based application process to be torchbearers in San Francisco.
The only North American stopover
Although San Francisco is the only stop in North America for the sacred flame, the city's mayor emphasized that the torch relay will use the city as a platform to spread the Olympic spirit throughout the rest of the country.
San Francisco has stepped up precautionary measures to ensure security during the torch relay, assuring reporters that safety will always come first.
Chinese-American supporters
San Francisco is home to North America's oldest and largest Chinatown. The huge number of ethnic Chinese citizens living in and around the Californian city has fully supported Beijing's efforts in preparing for the Olympics, enthusiastically looking forward to witnessing the torch relay in person.
Preparations for the welcoming of the sacred flame have been successful through the cooperation of various overseas Chinese associations throughout North America. Posters, t-shirts, and flags have been printed and distributed to thousands of fans. Performances featuring Chinese characteristics, such as traditional dragon and lion dances, are planned for the day the sacred flame arrives.
Students at Berkley's campus of the University of California have created a 6.5 meter long, 1.5 meter wide banner with well-wishes and slogans, including "I love Beijing" and "We support Beijing," contributed by Olympic enthusiasts. On April 9, this banner will be brought to San Francisco, thirty kilometers away from Berkley, to be proudly displayed while the sacred flame makes its way through the city.
Bumper stickers reading "Welcome Beijing Olympic Flame" have decorated cars all over the city.
According to reports, over 90 buses loaded with passengers with their eyes set on San Francisco will depart for the starting and ending points (McCovey Cove and Justin Herman Plaza) as early as 5:00 a.m. from surrounding areas. The travelers want to show the world their passionate support for the Beijing Games by wholeheartedly welcoming the Olympic torch.
Brief Introduction to "old golden mountain"
San Francisco is located on the Northwestern end of California, surrounded on three sides by the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The city of less than one million permanent residents covers 47 square miles,
The scenic, hilly city has been voted one of Americans' favorite places to visit. The sun shines brightly through mild winters and breezy summers, making for a pleasant climate all-year round. Rudyard Kipling summarized the city very well when he said, "San Francisco has only one drawback – it's hard to leave."
In Chinese, San Francisco is named ¾É½ðɽ, (jiujingshan) which literally means "old golden mountain." This name comes from the gold-rush past of the city, which attracted many Chinese to settle in the area early in the 19th century.
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