What is the purpose of the Olympic torch?

The purpose is to promote the Olympic spirit, and then to remind people that the Olympic Games will be held in Beijing.

Funding for the torch relay is mainly from sponsors.

Funding for the torch relay should be included in the funding for the Olympic Games.

"Harmony" embodies the traditional Chinese culture to pursue the idea of physical and mental harmony, interpersonal harmony, and harmony between man and nature, embodies the development concept of contemporary China, and is deeply consistent with the spiritual essence of the Olympic Games of "making sports serve the harmonious development of human beings and promoting the development of a peaceful society that upholds individual dignity", and highly summarizes the profound connotation of the Beijing Olympic Games "Green Olympics, Science and Technology Olympics, and Humanistic Olympics" and the theme of "One World, One Dream".

The Passing Ceremony symbolizes the official opening of the Olympic Games and also has the significance of conveying the Olympic spirit of peace and friendship. Originating in ancient Greece, the Olympic Flame was a traditional ritual during the Olympic Games in ancient times, and now the Olympic Torch Relay Ceremony has become a useful tool for the host country to publicize and display.

The reason for the torch relay at the Olympic Games.

The Olympic flame originated from the Prometheus ritual in ancient Greece and symbolizes the Olympian spirit of light, unity, friendship, peace, and justice. Before the ancient Olympic Games, people would go to various city-states with the sacred fire lit from the altar of the Temple of Zeus in Olympia to convey the message of the start of the Olympic Games and call for the abandonment of the war and the cessation of the war.

The modern Olympic Torch Relay was only resumed in 1936 at the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany, and the flame had to be taken from Olympia, passed through the world by relay and had to arrive at the host venue the day before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and not be extinguished until the closing of the Games.

Today, the Olympic Torch Relay has become one of the indispensable ceremonies at the opening ceremony of every Olympic Games. Through the Torch Relay, the people of the host country can fully feel the spirit and power of the Olympic Games, and the host country and the host city have the opportunity to showcase themselves to the world, and the Torch Relay has become an important tool for the host country to raise public awareness and participation in the Games and create publicity opportunities.

The Olympic Torch Ceremony originated from the story of Prometheus stealing the flame for mankind in Greek mythology, and has a history of more than 2,700 years. According to legend, Mount Olympia in ancient Greece was the habitat of the gods, and the local people worshiped the gods every four years in order to pray for good weather and abundant crops.

Originating in the holy land of Olympia, people also had sprint races. The athlete who first takes the torch from the priest and lights the flame on the altar in front of Prometheus, the god of fire, is the victor. He will also be revered as a hero.

1.Ancient torch relays.

As a sacred symbol, the history of fire dates back to prehistory. Fire in Greek history represented creation, regeneration, and light. In Greek mythology, fire was the sacred symbol of Hephaestus, a gift that Prometheus stole from Zeus to give to humanity.

In the center of each ancient Greek city-state, there was an altar that burned the Eternal Flame, and every household of the city-state also had the Eternal Flame as an offering to Hestia, the goddess of the hearth. Originally held at night as a religious ritual in ancient Greece, the torch relay was soon transformed into a team sport that first emerged among teenagers, and eventually evolved into one of the most popular sports in ancient Greece.

In the council hall of the ancient city of Olympia there was an altar dedicated to Hestia, and the sacred flame of the altar was lit with a concave disc or mirror focused on the sun's rays. The flame is never extinguished. The process of lighting the flame is very simple, but it can make a lasting impression.

The sunken smooth plane allows sunlight to be brought to the focal point, and the High Priestess is able to light it by extending the torch to the focal point.

The ancient Greeks held a torch relay competition in which participants had to carry the torch to the finish line. The religious ceremony of the ancient Greek torch relay was held every four years in honor of the goddess Athena. The power of the flame was carried by the torchbearers in the fastest possible way.

The torch relay began at the altar of Prometheus and ended at the altar of the goddess Athena, located on the ancient Acropolis. The torch relay was carried out by 40 young people from 10 Athenian tribes, covering a distance of kilometres.

The modern Olympic flame is lit in the same ceremony as in ancient Greece, and is also lit by priestesses in Olympia along with the reading of the athletes' oath. The Olympic flame will then be awarded to the first torchbearer, marking the official start of the torch relay. To this day, the power of the Olympic torch relay continues to influence and touch the hearts of millions of people.

2.The Olympic Torch Relay and its revival.

The modern Olympic Torch Relay is a non-competition event in the same format as the torch relay in ancient Greece, and it has been transformed into an important event to celebrate the opening of the Olympic Games. At the Stockholm Olympics on June 27, 1912, Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic movement, pointed out in his prophetic speech:

From now on, the torchbearers have accepted the torch and the sacred mission of carrying the Olympic flame. Let the Olympic flame be passed to each other in the hands of the young generation, and let the youth of the world be ready to spread the Olympic flame all over the world. ”

As part of the celebration of the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, the revival of the modern Olympic torch relay began with the Berlin Olympics in 1936 and has been held every Summer Olympic Games since then. At that time the Berlin Olympic torch relay was carried by the first torchbearer! konstantine

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The relay starts at Olympia and ends at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. The sacred power of the Olympic flame has been recognized by the world and has become a prelude to the opening of the Olympic Games.