The light of civilization ignites the fire of the Asian Games. The tinder of the Hangzhou Asian Games was successfully collected today at the site of Liangzhu Ancient City
The Hangzhou Asian Games ushered in the 100-day countdown. This morning, the Hangzhou Asian Games fire was successfully collected in Damojiao Mountain, Hangzhou Liangzhu Ancient City Relics Park.
At about 9:18 in the morning, 19 fire messengers in white costumes slowly climbed up the steps. The number “19” means the 19th Asian Games. The fire-picking messenger holds a fire-picking stick and walks towards the fire-picking device. The center of the device is a concave mirror, and the outer ring is shaped like Liangzhu jade. The fire messenger extended the fire stick to the fire device and successfully ignited the fire stick. The fire was held high, and the music was melodious. Along with the slow-moving team of fire-picking envoys, many actors in the costumes of Liangzhu ancestors gathered from all directions to join them. They symbolize the members of the big Asian family, and they will participate in the event with peace, friendship, and the belief in a community with a shared future for Asia.
Afterwards, the fire-picking envoy came to the ceremony area, and the fire-picking stick lit the tinder box. As the tinder box was ignited, the Asian Games “Digital Torchbearer” online relay event was launched simultaneously on the “Asian Games One-stop” platform. Immediately afterwards, the fire guards introduced the fire into the fire lamp, and the fire collection ceremony of the Asian Games was a complete success.
The Liangzhu site is a holy place that demonstrates the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, and it is a very unique historical and cultural window to show the world ancient China and modern China. In the view of Fang Ming, director of the Zhejiang Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology, the choice of the fire picking ceremony for the Hangzhou Asian Games to be held at Damojiao Mountain, the core area of Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park, has extraordinary significance. The light of Zhu’s civilization, passing through time and space, ignites the fire of the Asian Games in the new era, symbolizing the inheritance and continuous development of sportsmanship.”
After the Asian Games fire collection ceremony, the 19th Asian Games torch lighting and torch relay launch ceremony will be held in West Lake, Hangzhou in mid-September. Afterwards, the torch will be fully relayed in 11 cities in Zhejiang. On September 23, the Asian Games flame from the 5,000-year Liangzhu civilization will light the main torch at the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Why did you choose Liangzhu to collect the Asian Games fire?
In 1951, the first Asian Games was held in New Delhi, India, inheriting the practice of collecting and lighting the torch in the Olympic Games, and opened the history of the Asian Games’ torch collection.
The 1990 Beijing Asian Games was the first time the Asian Games came to China. The kindling of that session was collected under the Nyainqentanglha Peak at an altitude of 7,117 meters, one of the sources of the Yangtze River. For the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, the fire source was collected at the Juyongguan Great Wall in Beijing, which is known as the “No. 1 Grand Pass in the World“. Both places bear witness to China’s long history and splendid civilization, and embody the noble character of the Chinese nation’s peace-loving and self-improvement.
In the new era and new journey, the Asian Games will be ignited for the third time on the land of China, and it is even more necessary to choose a shining and significant cultural coordinate in the long river of history. The Liangzhu site is a holy place that demonstrates the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, and it does its part.
For quite a long time, the international academic community believed that Chinese civilization only began in the Yin and Shang period around 3,500 years ago. On July 6, 2019, the 43rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee made a final decision. The Liangzhu Ancient City Site was approved to be included in the “World Heritage List”, and the 5,000-year Chinese civilization has been recognized by the international community!
Today, Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park and Liangzhu Museum have become important places for global visitors to experience and comprehend the 5,000-year Chinese civilization. Here, citizens and tourists can perceive the diligence, wisdom and aesthetics of Liangzhu ancestors from carbonized rice, exquisite jade, and stone plows, admire the ingenuity of artifacts, and use AI and AR technology to enter the life scenes of ancestors 5,000 years ago middle.
Igniting the kindling with the imprint of Liangzhu added a sense of history and culture to the Asian Games, which is also the cultural confidence conveyed by the Hangzhou Asian Games to the world. For the Liangzhu ancient city ruins, the collection and transfer of fire made the Chinese civilization once again stand under the global spotlight, and was continuously and rejuvenated.