Local residents of the Tibetan ethnic group present “hada”, a traditional Tibetan scarf symbolizing blessing, to torchbearer Liu Yongtao(R) during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games torch relay in Qinghai Lake, northwest China’s Qinghai Province, on June 23, 2008.(Xinhua Photo)
The 139th torchbearer, Liu Yongtao, received a special saluting from local Tibetans. He was greeted by a group of Tibetan shepherds, who looked like a big family with a sheep herd, when running along lakeshore grassland.
The Tibetans presented him a white hada and a small cup of barley wine. According to Tibetans’ rite, Liu first flips the ring finger to flick off liquids from the Tibetan-flavor wine, a motion to show respect to the Gods, and then drank it to the lees with smile.
The Tibetans also touched the torch with their foreheads, a gesture to show respect to the flame. Renqoghu, a 60-year-old man, vailed his hat and touched the torch with the forehead. Several others followed him.
“According to our tradition, that the forehead touches a holy thing could bring luck and peace to one’s family,” said Goenpojia, one of those Tibetans.
“To us, the Olympic flame is holy, too. I also want to well wish the Beijing Olympics in this way,” said Rengohu.
Local Tibetans’ warmth also moved foreign torchbearers. “Carrying torch in the Qinghai Lake and with those children around, it’s so beautiful,” said Christopher Thomas, a manager from Intel.
Thomas is a torchbearer chosen by major sponsor. He said he could choose where to participate in the relay and he chose Qinghai.
“I chose Qinghai because I heard it’s very beautiful, but it’s more beautiful than people told me,” said he.
The Qinghai Lake is state-level natural scenery, appraised as “the Most Beautiful Lake in China” by well-circulated Chinese National Geography Magazine in 2005..
The last torchbearer, Decejia, a village Party chief in Hainan, lightened the community cauldron at 12:26 a.m. in the closing ceremony.
“The beautiful Qinghai Lake is a sacred lake in the heart of usTibetan people. Being a Tibetan torchbearer, being the last one in the relay along the Qinghai Lake, I’m very proud,” Decejia told the audience.
The partner organizer in Hainan presented the Beijing Organizing Committee a traditional Tibetan embroidery. It is a very popular handcraft which describes four animals — elephant, monkey, rabbit and eagle — cooperate together to make a living, symbolizing unity, luck, and peace.
The Flame then travels to the provincial capital Xining, last stop of the 3-day Qinghai leg.
Located in northeast part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with an altitude of over 3,200 meters, Qinghai Lake is about 150 kilometers west of Xining
The lake has an area of 4,300 square km. It is also the largest salt-water lake in China as well as an important ecological and natural reserve.