China’s 15th National Games open with grand cauldron lighting ceremony

The main cauldron was ignited at the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, on Sunday evening by a trio of distinguished athletes from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

The flame that lit the cauldron was sourced from methane hydrate, or combustible ice, extracted from a depth of 1,522 meters in the South China Sea.

Before the grand ignition, a ceremonial torch relay took place inside the stadium.

The first to carry the torch flame were table tennis legend Ma Lin, a three-time Olympic gold medalist and 15-time world champion, and diving icon Chen Ruolin, who boasts five Olympic golds and 21 world titles.

The flame was then passed to Hong Kong cycling champion Wong Kam Po -- a three-time gold medalist at both the National Games and the Asian Games, and a celebrated world champion -- and to Macao karate athlete Fong Man Hou, silver medalist in the Men's Team Kata at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province.

Next, diving great Guo Jingjing, a four-time Olympic champion and 31-time world title winner, joined tennis rising star Wang Xinyu, the mixed doubles silver medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, to carry the torch forward.

The flame then passed to Wang Liuyi and Wang Qianyi, the gold medal–winning duo in both the team and duet artistic swimming events at the Paris Olympics.

Following them were badminton star Liang Weikeng, silver medalist in men's doubles at the 2024 Olympics and a three-time world title winner, and Lai Xuanzhi, an inspirational national ethical role model who has trained 52 world champions in rope skipping.

The sixth leg honored judo pioneer Xian Dongmei, a two-time Olympic champion, and football legend Rong Zhixing.

Finally, the honor of igniting the main cauldron fell to an emblematic trio from the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area: Su Bingtian, the Asian record holder in the men's 100m sprint from Guangdong; Cheung Ka Long, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in men's foil fencing from Hong Kong; and Li Yi, Macao's gold medalist in women's changquan at the 19th Asian Games.

Together, they lit the flame against a backdrop of fireworks, drawing roaring cheers from the crowd. #NationalGames