The 41st San Francisco Chinese Athletic Games torch lighting ceremony took place in front of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in San Francisco on May 18th (last Sunday) at 11 a.m.
Chairman Chen Ligong of the Chinese Athletic Games, Deputy Director Zhu Yongchang of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, Deputy Director Liu Daixin of the Overseas Chinese Education Center, Director Ji Hongyan of the Chinese Association, Director Chen Xia Yi of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and Secretary-General Zhao Bingxian of the Kuomintang in the United States attended the event together to show their support.
The ceremony began with a lively lion dance performance, followed by the national anthems of the United States and the Republic of China.
During his speech, Chairman Chen Ligong of the Chinese Athletic Games expressed his honor to hold the torch lighting ceremony for the 41st San Francisco Chinese Athletic Games at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall. He specially thanked the leaders, seniors, and guests from the Bay Area for attending. He called for more people to participate in the games, especially the youth, to pass on the torch and wished everyone good health and happiness.
Deputy Director Zhu Yongchang and other guests highlighted the significance of holding the ceremony in front of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, emphasizing the inheritance of the founding father’s ideals of freedom, equality, and mutual love.
They also praised the efforts of Chairman Chen Ligong for promoting the event, hoping to showcase Taiwan to the world and promote the Chinese sports games within the Bay Area.
The young children of the Liang Guan Bai He Dragon Lion Team performed a splendid lion dance to light the torch.
Historically, the sacred torch lighting ceremony was first introduced at the 1896 Athens Olympics to honor the Greek deities. The modern Olympic torch relay began at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, becoming an integral part of major sporting events worldwide. The passing on of the flame symbolizes continuity, peace, unity, and friendship.
For registration and regulations of the athletic competitions, please visit https://tcaat.org.
The sporting event will officially kick off on Sunday, July 27th at 10 a.m. at Fremont High School, 575 W. Fremont Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94087.