Welcome to Paralympics countdown, I'm Liuxu. There are 8 days to go before the 2008 Beijing Paralympics Games.

Premier Lights Beijing Paralympics Flame, Torch Relay Starts

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao lit the Beijing Paralympics flame at the ancient Temple of Heaven in Beijing yesterday(Aug 28th), kicking off the torch relay across China before the 13th Paralympics opens on Sept. 6. The sacred flame was sent to Xi'an in Northwest China to start the Ancient China relay. Modern China route Shenzhen's leg relay will be held tomorrow. A total of 850 torchbearers will participate in the relays along two routes through 11 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

Beijing Has Recruited 44,000 Volunteers for Paralympics

According to Liu Jian, director of the volunteers department of the BOCOG, Beijing has recruited 44,000 volunteers to provide services at venues of the Sept. 6-17 Paralympic Games. The volunteers came from 27 countries and regions, and 90 percent of them had served at Beijing Olympic Games. All of them had received training over the past three years, especially on how to serve the disabled.

Paralympics Equestrian Tickets Go on Sale in HK

The tickets for the Paralympics equestrian events, which will run from Sept. 7 to 11 in Hong Kong, was on sale from today at China Travel Service's four offices and the agent's website. The price is set at  $39 Hong kong dollars for each ticket.