Hunan native and Olympic weightlifting champion Yang Xia is the first torchbearer on Thursday as the Olympic Torch Relay begins its tour of Xiangtan, the hometown of Mao Zedong, at 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 5, 2008.

Jiang Aibing, the last torchbearer of the Xiangtan leg, lights the cauldron, marking the conclusion of Olympic torch relay in the hometown of Mao Zedong on Thursday, June 5, 2008.

Hunan native and Olympic weightlifting champion Yang Xia was the first torchbearer on Thursday as the Olympic Torch Relay began its tour of Xiangtan, the hometown of Mao Zedong, at 8 a.m. on Thursday.

The launching ceremony was held at Dongfanghong Square before a silent tribute was paid to the victims of the Sichuan earthquake.

After Mayor Yu Aiguo and standing member of Hunan Provincial Committee of CPC Li Jiang delivered speeches at the ceremony, Wang Wei, executive vice-president and secretary general of BOCOG, lit the Beijing Olympic torch and passed it to Yu, who then passed it to Yang, marking the official start of the Torch Relay in Xiangtan.

The route of the relay passes local major landmarks, including Xiangtan University Gym, Hongtaiyang Square, Yingbin Road and Guyuan Road before concluding at Mao Zedong's Bronze Statue Square.

The entire route covers 79.1 kilometers and involves 208 torchbearers.