The Olympic torch finally reached its destination Beijing, and began its journey on Wednesday morning.

Liu Qi (2nd R), president of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the  29th Olympic Games (BOCOG), hands over the torch to the first torch  bearer and the country's first astronaut Yang Liwei (3rd L) during  the launching ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games torch relay  in Beijing, China, Aug. 6, 2008. The Olympic torch relay began its  final leg in Beijing from the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City  Wednesday morning.(Xinhua/Luo Xiaoguang)

BOCOG president Liu Qi handed over the torch to Yang Liwei, the country's first astronaut, who started from the Meridian Gate of the Forbidden City as the first runner. On the first of its three-day relay in Beijing, the torch will travel through seven districts, passing city landmarks including Tiananmen Square, the egg-shaped National Center for the Performing Arts and the Southern Gate Qianmen, and finally end at the Temple of Heaven.

Some 430 torchbearers took part in the 16-kilometer relay on the first day. Among the runners are NBA basketball superstar Yao Ming, Turin Olympics 500-meter speed skating gold medalist Wang Meng, and China's first gold medalist Xu Haifeng.

Other Chinese note-worthies include the famed film director and chief director of the Games' opening and closing ceremonies Zhang Yimou, designer of the Beijing mascots Han Meiling, comedian Feng Gong, actress Song Dandan and opera singer Dai Yuqiang. Chairman of the Coordination Commission of IOC, Hein Verbruggen, also beared the torch in the journey.

After over four-hour's relay, a grand ceremony will be held at the Temple of Heaven. More than one thousand dancers will perform there to receive the torch. The three-day relay will take the flame through all 18 Beijing districts and along all 19 roads in the newly expanded Beijing Economic and Technological District. The entire relay will include around 840 torchbearers who will cover a distance of 40 kilometers.

On the following day, the torch will travel another 14 kilometers, starting outside Beijing at the famous Badaling section of the Great Wall and ending back within city limits in Ditan Park.