The torch of the Universiade arrived in Beijing on Saturday from Torino where the first edition of the tournament staged.
A brief ceremony was held at the China Millennium Monument to welcome the torch. Paolo Baun, Chief of Torino sports bureau, handed the torch to president of the International University Sports Federation George E. Killian, who then passed the flame to Secretary General of the Organizing Committee Sun Kanglin.
The flame of the 21st Universiade, which has been named Light of the New Century, was collected in three routes, one of them is the hand-on torch from the first Universiade. The other two are from Peking University and Macy University of New Zealand which were kindled at January 1 of the new millennium.
A nationwide torch relay will start off on May 4th in Tiananmen Square. The torch will travel in China for more than 100 days and return to Beijing on August 20, two days before the Beijing Universiade begins.