The torch relay of the 19th Asian Games continues in Quzhou, eastern China's Zhejiang province, on Sept. 19, 2023. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

The torch relay of the 19th Asian Games continued in Quzhou of eastern China's Zhejiang province on Tuesday after the torch passing through 10 cities across the province.

Kong Lingli, the 76th-generation descendant of Confucius, is the first torch bearer of the Quzhou relay in eastern China's Zhejiang province on Sept. 19, 2023. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

The route of the torch relay started from the Quzhou Confucius Ancestral Temple and ended at the Smart New City of Quzhou, with a total length of 8,844 meters. Kong Lingli, the 76th-generation descendant of Confucius, was the first torch bearer of the relay.

Among the 170 torch bearers participating in the Quzhou torch relay, 70 came from Quzhou. The last torch bearer of the relay was Zhang Xinyu, a 15-year-old Go player from the city.

Confucianism, with a history of about 900 years in Quzhou, shares common values with the sporting spirits of the Asian Games, Kong said. Confucianism belongs not only to the Confucius family, but also to China and the rest of the world. The torch relay helps people better understand the essential meaning of inheriting and developing fine traditional Chinese culture, Kong added.

Quzhou Confucius Ancestral Temple, with a history of more than 800 years, is one of the only two Confucius temples across China. In 1128, the 48th-generation descendant of Confucius, Kong Duanyou, left Qufu, Shandong province, moved to Quzhou, and later the Quzhou Confucius Ancestral Temple was built.