The Olympic flame has already touched the lives of thousands, literally - as people from all walks of life who passed strict selections to become proud torchbearers will attest.
Through a global campaign via TV, cell phones and the Internet, Olympic worldwide torch relay sponsors Coca-Cola, Samsung and Lenovo announced their lists of 4,221 torchbearers last week.
Since June, millions throughout the country have participated in the selection - sharing their extraordinary achievement and touching tales, nominating local heroes or voting for their favorites.
Among the selected, many are famous personalities such as Olympic champions, movie stars and singers. Most, however, are members of the public with various backgrounds.
The youngest torchbearer is 14 and the oldest, 91.
About 1.9 million people took part in Coca-Cola's selection, attracting 310 million votes from supporters. The drinks giant also staged torch exhibition tours in 110 Chinese cities.
Through its official torch relay website, Samsung attracted more than 10,000 online candidates and picked 250 foreigners living in the mainland to become torchbearers.
Lenovo worked with state broadcaster CCTV and 31 local TV stations to host various torchbearer selection programs and attracted close to 1 million participants.
The total number of Beijing Olympic torchbearers is 21,880, with 19,400 from the mainland and 2,480 from other countries and regions.
Torch facts
The luminaries
International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge, Greek President Karolos Papoulias and Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad President Liu Qi attended the torch-lighting ceremony with close to 10,000 guests and visitors. More than 400 international journalists covered the event.
The route in Greece
The torch will travel in the country for six days through Mesologi, Ioannina, Vera, Thessaloniki and Lamia before reaching Athens. The last torchbearer, Greek Olympic triple jump silver medalist Pigi Devetzi, will carry the torch to the Panathenian Stadium on March 30 to pass it on to Beijing.
The rehearsal
Twenty-two priestesses, mostly dance students, and six male dancers rehearsed about a week.
The torch
Before the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, host countries have been providing the torch used by the High Priestess during the torch-lighting ceremony. At the Barcelona Games, a torch was specially designed and produced by a Greek designer for use in future ceremonies.
The Temple of Hera
The Heraeum, or the Temple of Hera at Olympia, is thought to be one of the oldest temples in Greece. Built around 600 BC, the temple is dedicated to the Greek goddess Hera, Zeus' wife. There were six columns on each end and 16 columns along each side. The cella, or main room, of the temple contained monumental statues in the Archaic style of both Hera and Zeus. The torch-lighting ceremony is held in front of the temple.
The first torchbearer
According to tradition, the first torchbearer should be a Hellenic male athlete. The first torchbearer of this summer's Olympic Games is Greek Olympic taekwondo silver medalist Alexandros Nikolaidis.
The mirror
Using the sun's rays harnessed in a concave mirror is the traditional way to light the torch. The flame is lit according to an ancient method, using the sun and a concave receptacle (a parabolic mirror). The sun's rays are concentrated at the center of the receptacle, which causes an intense heat and creates a flame.
The flame pot
The pot is adorned with ancient Greek-styled design and filled with olive oil, which will be lit in the ceremony rehearsal. During the torch-lighting ceremony, if the pot cannot be ignited through the concave mirror due to bad weather, the "Highest Priestess" will light the torch with the fire in the pot.
The priestesses
The Greek priestesses wearing traditional costume are not only responsible for lighting the torch, but also for dancing during the ceremony. Therefore, all the actresses are professional dancers in Greece. The "Highest Priestess" will also pray to the sun god during the ceremony by saying "Apollo, the sun king, the avatar of light, let your glorious rays light the sacred torch."
