Olympic flame reaches Paris on Bastille Day, featuring three Chinese torchbearers

PARIS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Paris Olympic flame arrived in the city on Sunday, France's National Day, and began its two-day relay in the capital.

Three Chinese torchbearers participated on the first day: renowned pianist Lang Lang, Chen Zhongwei, Chairman and General Manager of Hengyuanxiang Group, and young actor Wang Yibo.

After the traditional National Day military parade, the Olympic torch relay officially kicked off on the Champs-Elysees around 1 p.m., with French football legend and current French Olympic team coach Thierry Henry serving as the first torchbearer.

The Olympic flame then passed several famous Parisian landmarks, including the Grand Palais, Petit Palais, National Assembly, Pantheon, Sorbonne University Auditorium, Victor Hugo's House, Bastille Square, Place Vendome, the Louvre, and the Pompidou Center, before arriving at the Paris City Hall, where the day's celebrations began.

Lang was the first Chinese torchbearer to receive the torch, starting his run in front of the iconic Pantheon in Paris.

"This place has special significance today, in front of the Pantheon, with the Sorbonne University's auditorium nearby, which has a direct connection to the Olympics. I feel very honored," Lang told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

The 42-year-old pianist had previously served as a torchbearer for the Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Rio 2016 Olympics, making Paris his fourth Olympic torchbearer appearance. The Sorbonne University Auditorium is where Pierre de Coubertin gave his speech over a hundred years ago, proposing the revival of the Olympic Games, and where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was later founded.

"Every experience is different. The first time I ran in 2008, I had no experience and thought we needed to run like athletes, so I trained a lot," Lang joked. "It's truly an honor to be a torchbearer each time, especially now when the world needs unity more than ever, which is the spirit of the Olympics."

Chen and Wang both participated in the relay during the final segment of the day, from the Louvre to the City Hall.

Since 2019, Hengyuanxiang has been the official supplier of formal attire for the IOC staff. As the current head of this historic company, Chen has also had multiple experiences as an Olympic torchbearer.

"This is my third time participating in the torch relay, with the first two being in China during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. This time in Paris, the romantic capital, starting from the Louvre, I truly felt the cultural heritage of France and the enthusiasm of Parisians for the Olympics," Chen told Xinhua.

"This year marks both the Olympic year and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. As a long-term partner of the Olympic movement, Hengyuanxiang has always participated in and supported the Olympics in various ways. We hope to see further strengthening of friendship and cooperation between China and France in the future and to establish broader international relations through the Olympic platform," Chen said.

Young actor Wang, known as a sports enthusiast, previously served as an ambassador for the Olympic Qualification Series in Shanghai. His relay segment was near the City Hall, close to 11 p.m.

"It feels like a very special experience to be a torchbearer at night and to start my segment at point 85, which happens to be my birthdate. I feel very honored and happy," Wang told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. "I hope Chinese athletes can enjoy the Olympic stage and achieve great results."

Wang was recommended by Mengniu, an IOC TOP Program partner, making him the 13th torchbearer recommended by the Chinese dairy manufacturer for this Olympic torch relay.

The Olympic torch relay will continue on Monday in Paris, with another Chinese torchbearer, Ding Shizhong, chairman of the Anta Group, participating in the afternoon.