Olympic flame starts tour in Confucius´ hometown

The Olympic torch relay continues its domestic tour. It journeyed through the hometown of Confucius on Tuesday. Qufu is located in east China's Shandong Province.

At 8 am in the morning, a short ceremony to launch the relay was held in front of the "Hall of Great Accomplishment," the major structure of the Confucius Temple. Kong Peng, a local tour guide and a descendant of Kong family, was the first torchbearer.

Qufu is famous for being "the hometown of Confucius. Confucius was a philosopher, statesman and educator. For over 2,500 years, Confucius's teachings have significantly influenced China and other Asian countries.

A total of 100 torchbearers are participating in the 5.1-kilometer leg of the Olympic torch relay in Qufu. The flame will leave for Tai'an, the fourth stop in Shandong Province this afternoon.