Historic torch relay for China's 15th National Games lights up Greater Bay Area

This photo taken on Nov. 2, 2025 shows the launch ceremony of the torch relay for China's 15th National Games in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province,. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

SHENZHEN, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- The torch relay for China's 15th National Games blazed a historic trail across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area on Sunday, marking the event's first-ever cross-boundary relay and the flame's inaugural journey to Hong Kong and Macao.

Under a gentle breeze at Shenzhen's Lianhuashan Mountain, physicist Xue Qikun, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, set off on the first leg.

Named "Blossom", the torch embodies the core themes of "fusion" and "glory", symbolizing exchange, integration and shared prosperity. Its "source flame" was obtained in September by using solar energy to ignite combustible ice from the South China Sea at a depth of over 1,500 meters.

Torchbearer humanoid robot "Kuavo" (front) runs during the torch relay for China's 15th National Games in Shenzhen, Nov. 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

The historic moment featured a humanoid robot, "Kuavo", the world's first 5G-A humanoid, serving as the No. 0 torchbearer. "It's truly special and a big surprise. The power of cutting-edge technology is incredibly thrilling," said 2008 Olympic badminton champion Yu Yang, who passed the flame to the robot.

While the 45-kilometer route in Shenzhen paid tribute to the city's 45th anniversary as a special economic zone, the relay in Guangzhou highlighted its role as a "millennium commercial capital", tracing a path from the Ming-dynasty Zhenhai Tower to modern landmark Haixinsha. Beyond smart robots, the relay also saw unmanned vehicles and low-altitude aircraft linking sections of the routes.

"Guangzhou is not only a city steeped in ancient charm and traditional culture, but also one full of dynamism and modernity," said the eighth torchbearer Li Jiayi, winner of the 31st China Theatre Plum Blossom Award.

Four representatives light the cauldron during the torch merging ceremony for China's 15th National Games in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Nov. 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

Over in Hong Kong, the relay echoed the city's identity as an international financial hub, with an open-top bus and a ferry passing iconic sites such as the Golden Bauhinia Square.

"It's really meaningful to pass on the sacred flame in Hong Kong," said table tennis player Wong Chun Ting, the city's first torchbearer. "I really enjoyed the atmosphere, seeing so many enthusiastic citizens cheering us on," he added.

In front of the Ruins of St. Paul's, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that symbolizes the cultural exchange between East and West, Macao's final torchbearer, karate athlete Kuok Kin Hang lit the cauldron amid cheers.

"This is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life," he said. "The spirit of the National Games is the national spirit of all our people."

Torchbearers Liu Pingyun (R) and Rao Hong clap hands during the torch relay for China's 15th National Games in Guangzhou, Nov. 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

Among the 200 torchbearers, there were also community representatives such as sanitation workers and delivery riders. "We ordinary people can also shine on this stage," expressed Su Jinji, a delivery rider and Guangzhou's 7th torchbearer. "Every effort will be seen and recognized at last," she added.

After the relay, the flames from the four cities were merged into a single flame in Guangzhou at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center, where the unified flame will light the main cauldron on November 9, officially opening the 15th National Games.

"The flame, ignited from the deep sea, passed through four cities and merged here, will illuminate the future path of Chinese sports and the brilliant tomorrow of the Greater Bay Area," said Wang Xi, deputy director of China's 15th National Games organizing committee. ■