During dinner, I was scanning the headlines over at CNN (on telly) then I spotted a blurb that said “Olympic Torch arrives in Beijing”. I was still out so when I got home I quickly browsed through my sources and found out that the plane bearing the torch landed on Beijing, 9 this morning.
It was Chinese President Hu Jintao who announced the official start of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay. The President lit the cauldron at the Tianamen Square in Beijing. This took place two (2) hours after the Olympic Torch landed in China.
You can view the welcome ceremony here …read more

I’ve managed to find an awesome footage of the lighting ceremony signaling the start of the Olympic Torch Relay. This took place in Olympia, Greece last 24 March 2008.
The footage includes portions on the High Priestess played by actress Maria Nafpliotou lighting the torch flame; releasing the dove; and handing the torch to the first Olympic Torchbearer of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad Alexandros Nikolaidis.
Originally aired over at CCTV 9.

I just learned that there\’s a special treat for all you guys come 24th of March. \r\n\r\n
On 24 March 2008 visitors of www.olympic.org will be able to watch the Olympic flame come to life in Olympia, Greece.
\r\n\r\nSource\r\n\r\nThe coverage of this special event, as part of the 2008 Beijing Games, will start 10:00 GMT; accessible online. The Olympic torch relay is said to cover 137,000 kms — passing through five (5) continents — and will last around 130 days.