The plans accepted by the IOC for the Olympic torch relay were announced on April 26, 2007, in Beijing.[32] The relay, with the theme "Journey of Harmony", will last 130 days, carrying the torch 137,000 km (85,100 mi.) – the longest distance of any Olympic torch relay (though most of it is by air). The relay will begin on March 25, 2008, in Olympia, Greece. From there, it will travel across Greece to Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, and then to Beijing, arriving on March 31. From Beijing, the torch will follow a route passing through every continent except Antarctica. The torch will visit cities on the Silk Road, symbolizing ancient links between China and the rest of the world. A total of 21,880 torchbearers will be selected from around the world by various organizations and entities.[33]
The BOCOG also plans to carry the flame to the top of Mount Everest.[33] In June 2007, construction began on a 108 km (67 mi) long "highway" scaling the Tibetan side of the mountain. The $19.7 million blacktop project will span from Tingri County of Xigazê Prefecture to the Everest Base Camp. Environmental concerns about the effects of the road on the fragile Himalayan region have been expressed by the media, but denied by the Chinese government.[34]
The original scheduled route agreed in April included a stop in Taipei just before heading for Hong Kong. Taiwan's government, however, later rejected this proposal, claiming that such arrangement would make the Taiwan relay be seen as part of China's domestic route, rather than the international route.[35] Recent negotiations have led the IOC to officially take Taipei off the torch relay. Both China and Taiwan have blamed each other for injecting politics into the event. [36]
The Olympic Torch is based on traditional scrolls and uses a traditional Chinese design known as the "Cloud of Promise" (祥云). The torch is designed to remain lit in 65 kilometer-an-hour winds, and in rain of up to 50 millimeters-an-hour.
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