Olympic torch relay kicks off in Jilin city

The Olympic torch relay kicked off earlier this afternoon in Jilin city, in northeast China's Jilin province.

The first torchbearer Wang Chunli began the relay at 2 o'clock in the afternoon at the square in front of the city hall. Wang Chunli is one of China's top skiers, winning a gold medal in skiing in the sixth Asian Winter Games.

Jilin city was formerly called "Jilin Wula", which means "along the river" in the Manchu language. It's referred to as a river city because of the Songhua River that runs through it, and is surrounded on all sides by the Changbai Mountains.

108 torchbearers passed the torch along a 7.7-kilometer route. The torch will then head to Yanbian, the last leg of Jilin province.