Light the flame of the Universiade and encourage the youth of the new century.
　　
Liu Qi, mayor of Beijing and president of the Organizing Committee of the 21st Universiade, inscribed this good wish for the torch-lighting ceremony to be staged on January 1, 2001.
　　
"Since next year is exceedingly important for Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympics, we must spare no efforts in getting prepared for the Universiade," Sun Kanglin, secretary-general of the Organizing Committee of the 21st Universiade, said Liu.
　　
"That is also why Mayor Liu paid so much attention to all our arrangements, including the torch-lighting ceremony."
　　
To draw international attention and help Beijing with its Olympic bid, the Organizing Committee of the 21st Universiade decided to hold a torch relay called the "New Century, New Long March" as a prelude to the opening ceremony.
　　
At dawn on January 1, 2001, a torch-lighting ceremony, to be carried out simultaneously in Peking University and Massey University in New Zealand, will mark the start of the "New Century, New Long March" torch relay.
　　
Gymnast Li Ning will serve as the torch holder in the local ceremony at China's most famous university.
　　
At the same time, six outstanding college students, led by former national paddler Liu Wei, will fire the torch at the overseas ceremony at Massey University, as the first shafts of sunlight brighten the first morning of the New Year.
　　
Highlighting the principle of "Youth, Friendship and Peace," the local torch relay will mainly involve students from Peking University.
　　
The torch-lighting delegation of the 21st Universiade is scheduled to fly to New Zealand tomorrow, and will return on January 2 with the sacred fire.
　　
Raising its curtain in Beijing on August 22, 2001, the 21st Universiade will be the first Universiade to be held in the new millennium, and the first international multi-sports festival ever hosted by China.
　　
Both national sports authorities and the Beijing municipal government have attached great importance to the event.
　　
The newly built Universiade Village, located at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is designed to accommodate 7,000 to 8,000 athletes and officials.
　　
Other venues, such as Beijing Worker's Stadium and the Yingdong Swimming Pool, have undergone large scale renovations.

（Beijing-2008 12/27/2000）