President Hu Jintao's hometown of Jixi in Anhui Province became the setting for the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay Friday morning. Jixi is the only county-level stop on the Torch Relay in the Chinese mainland.

Chinese top snooker player Ding Junhui serves as the first torchbearer.

The first torchbearer, snooker player Ding Junhui, set off with the torch at 9:15, one of 80 torchbearers to take part in the 8.56-km relay (4.49 km via torchbearer and 4.07 km via convoy). Other torchbearers include Zhao Minsheng, chairman of the Jixi People's Congress; world champion taekwondo athlete Wang Ying; and Zhang Yudong, a local postman of 14 years.

The relay is expected to last about one hour.

(BOCOG May 30, 2008)