Olympic flame gets to Paris

The Beijing Olympic flame has arrived in France for the fifth leg of its world journey.

Chinese Ambassador to France Kong Quan and French Olympic Committee officials greeted the arrival of the flame. Vice president of Beijing Organizing Committee for Olympic Games Jiang Xiaoyu led the flame delegation and made a brief exhibition of the lantern which encases the sacred fire.

The Olympic torch will pass the major landmarks of Paris including the Eiffel Tower, the Arch of Triumph, Champs Elysees Avenue, the Concorde Square, the Louvre and the Notre Dame Cathedral.

French Olympic champion Marie-Josee Perec, Portuguese footballer Pedro Miguel Pauleta and badminton player Pi Hongyan are among the 80 torchbearers who will follow Coubertin's footsteps to spread the Olympic spirit.