Thousands of people waving flags and coloured pom-poms gathered in Tiananmen square and the surrounding streets as the flame returned to Beijing.
Published On 7 Aug 20087 Aug 2008
Many cheerleaders and dancers were bussed in from across the city by their places of work.
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The final Beijing leg of the relay began in Tiananmen Square, the symbolic heart of the Chinese capital.
The square, the scene of a bloody government crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1989, was bathed in colour and excitement.
At the Beijing leg of the rally there was little sign of the pro-Tibet protests that had dogged the torch's international progress.
Despite the controversies, for many Chinese the torch relay has been a time for celebration.
Organisers provided extra security for the torch's arrival in Beijing, following an attack in China's far western province of Xinjiang that killed a number of police officers.
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The Beijing relay will see some 841 torchbearers carry the flame over three days.
The relay will visit a series of Beijing landmarks before arriving at the national stadium on Friday night for the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
The relay has been touted as a celebration of the Olympic spirit ... as well as an important marketing opportunity.
