Kindled in Turin, Italy, the birthplace of the Universiade, the flame for the 2027 Winter Universiade has arrived in Changchun as anticipation builds ahead of the Games.
CHANGCHUN, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The flame lantern was carried into the Changchun History and Culture Museum on Wednesday morning, past a crowd gathered in the cold. It had come from Turin, Italy, where the flame was kindled on October 8 at the birthplace of the Universiade.
Its destination was Changchun, capital of northeast China's Jilin Province and co-host with neighboring Jilin City of the 2027 Winter Universiade.
Inside, 12 people waited to pass the lantern from hand to hand. They were chosen not for fame but for their work in the city, including a firefighter, a delivery courier, a student, a pilot, a police officer, a bank clerk, an insurance claims worker and a WorldSkills award winner. Organizers said the selection was intended to show that the flame belongs to everyone who helps build the city.
The last of the 12 to receive the lantern was Zhou Yang, a three-time Olympic short track speed skating champion. She then passed it to Changchun Mayor Gu Gang.
"The flame is very warm," Zhou said. "It represents athletes' burning dreams. The weather is cold today, so it feels warm. But it traveled thousands of miles from Turin to Changchun. This lantern is a heavy honor."
Zhou competed at the 2007 Asian Winter Games in Changchun and the 2009 Harbin Winter Universiade, where she won the 1,500m title. She said the Universiade gave her confidence ahead of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, where she won two gold medals.
"For me, it's a kind of inheritance," she said of going from competitor to flame bearer. "When I was a competitor, I received the baton from my predecessors. Now I've become a passer."
Among the 12 was Nilava Darya, a Belarusian sophomore majoring in Chinese language education at Jilin International Studies University, who will volunteer at the Games.
"I feel very excited and proud to witness and participate in this flame event," she said. "I welcome young people from all over the world to Changchun."
Darya said Changchun is quieter than other Chinese cities she has visited, and warmer. "I can say it's my second hometown," she said.
In the audience was 90-year-old Gao Xiangchen, who learned to skate as a child and took up figure skating at 65. He continued until he was 83, when his family persuaded him to stop.
"I'm so excited that a world-class winter sports event like the Universiade will be held in Changchun," he said. "I will definitely go watch in person. My favorite sport is figure skating."
His daughter, Gao Yan, was a volunteer at the 11th National Winter Games in 2008 and a torchbearer for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She said the arrival of the flame symbolized both sportsmanship and Changchun's ice and snow culture.
The flame was collected in Turin, where the first Summer Universiade was held in 1959. Since 2018, Turin has been home to FISU's "Flame of Knowledge," and the flame for each Universiade is kindled there before being taken to the host city.
"The lighting of the 'Flame of Knowledge' in Turin always represents a strong link between the birthplace of the Universiade and the future host," said FISU President Leonz Eder, who attended the collection ceremony.
The 33rd Winter Universiade will run from January 15 to 25, 2027. It will be the first Winter Universiade held in China since Harbin in 2009, following the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and the 2025 Harbin Asian Winter Games.
Changchun 2027 will feature 97 events across 12 sports. Freestyle skiing will be the only snow sport staged in both host cities. All competition venues are existing facilities being upgraded, while 8,100 volunteer candidates have been recruited.
Nan Chunhua, an executive with the Games' large-scale activities department, was a member of the team that traveled to Turin for the collection ceremony. She said the flame's journey served as a bridge between the two cities.
"When the flame was successfully introduced into the lantern, I was very excited and moved," she said. "This flame carries the hard work of the entire preparation team and the good wishes of the world for the Changchun Universiade."
After the lantern was passed among the 12 representatives, it was used to light the Games' torch, named "Jixiang," or "Auspicious Soaring." Jilin provincial governor Hu Yuting then lit the cauldron, "Zhuxue Yangyan," which translates roughly as "Chasing Snow, Raising Flame."
For Zhou, the message was simple.
"I hope China's sports, especially winter sports, will get better and better," she said. "I hope athletes coming to Changchun will feel the warmth of the people here." ■
