Background Informations:
On March 24, 2008, China National Philatelic Corporation issued two first-day covers and one miniature sheet cover, bearing one set of two commemorative stamps entitled "The Games of XXIX Olympiad-Torch Relay". The two commemorative stamps have a combined face value of 4.20 yuan. They are entitled "Lighting the Torch" and "The Torch Relay," respectively.
On March 24, 2008 the flame of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad was lit in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. The theme of the torch relay of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is "A Journey of Harmony" and the slogan is to "Light the Passion Share the Dream". The torch will be relayed across 19 cities in five continents and China's 31 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government and two special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macao), and in particular, the Olympic Flame will arrive at the highest peak in the world Mt. Qomolangma, traveling about 137,000 kilometers in 130 days. The flame lighting and torch relay is the exciting prelude of the Olympic Games. As a dynamic link between the ancient and modern Olympic Games, it endlessly spreads the Olympic spirit and signs of friendship and peace from generation to generation.
