Blue skies greet relay around lake

QINGHAI LAKE, Qinghai: Blue skies, white clouds and the diamond shades of Qinghai Lake combined yesterday to create a picturesque backdrop for the latest leg of the Olympic torch relay around China's largest saltwater lake.

The two-hour run covered 6 km and involved 162 torchbearers, including 47 ethnic Tibetans and three foreigners. Crowds of people, mostly Tibetans dressed in traditional costumes and holding hada (scarves worn as a sign of welcome) to present to guests, lined the route.

"It's a beautiful location and I love to see all the lively faces of the locals, especially the children," torchbearer Christopher Thomas, deputy general manager of Intel China, said.