First Cross‑Boundary Torch Relay Lights National Games

China held its first cross‑boundary torch relay for the 15th National Games simultaneously in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau, with flames from Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau converging and being merged into a single cauldron‑lighting flame for the Nov. 9 opening at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Centre. State media said about 200 torchbearers took part; Hong Kong coverage put the city’s leg at roughly 50–65 runners on a 10km route from Tamar Park past the Central harbourfront and Golden Bauhinia Square, crossing Victoria Harbour by ferry and finishing at Kai Tak Sports Park before the flames were returned to Guangzhou. Notable participants included physicist Xue Qikun, former Olympic diver Yang Jinghui, table‑tennis champion Wong Chun‑ting, fencer Kaylin Hsieh and business figures such as Daryl Ng, Martin Lee, Adam Kwok and Sonia Cheng. Organizers and officials presented the relay as a vivid expression of Greater Bay Area connectivity and the advantages of “one country, two systems.” Authorities said they were prepared for the Games but reported modest local ticket uptake, with about one‑third of Hong Kong event tickets sold and roughly 70% still unsold.