Beijing Olympic Games

Updated: 2008-08-04 11:24:43

(LESHAN, August 4) — Last torchbearer Pu Guoqiang, principal of a primary school in Wenchuan County, the epicenter of the May 12 earthquake that rocked Sichuan Province, arrived at the visitor’s square at Mount Emei just after 9:00 a.m., ending the Torch Relay in Leshan.

Pu, a Sichuan native, lost both his wife and mother-in-law in the devastating earthquake. Even after learning of their deaths, he continued to help rescue children from his school and was very active in post-quake rehabilitation efforts.

Pu was the last of 185 torchbearers in the 8.2km relay.

Picturesque Leshan is the hometown of many of China’s famous sports and cultural figures. Poet Su Dongpo and writer Guo Moruo were both born in Leshan. Nowadays, Leshan is called “Home of Chinese Swimming” due to the large number of Chinese swimming athletes that come from here. Most notably, Deng Guoying, the first Chinese to place first in a world sports competition, began his sports career in the mountains of Leshan.

The torch will travel next to Mianyang and Guanghan, where the relay will continue in the afternoon. On Tuesday, the torch will arrive in the Sichuan capital of Chengdu.