The Chinese auto rally kicked off here on Tuesday with a participation of 88 racing cars from all over the country.

The 1,699-kilometer rally is divided into four stages with the longest one 225km and the shortest 158km.

China is not short of racing events. The frenzy brought by Formula One has made the most populous nation a popular destination for the auto racing.

Apart from the top-end F1 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, racing events of different levels are held throughout the year.

Four days ago, the 2006 China-ASEAN rally roared to a start in the southwestern Chinese city of Nanning.

The 11,000km race passes through seven Asian countries (China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia), and features the region's top rally car drivers.

The rally, co-organized by the China General Administration of Sport and the government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, will leave the country through Youyiguan Pass on the China-Vietnam border, run through the Indochina Peninsula to reach Singapore, and then will make its way back to Nanning.

Drivers from each of the Southeast Asian countries will join the rally as it passes through. A fleet of 23 vehicles - 8 race cars and 15 logistics and support vehicles - will carry about 100 people including drivers, rally officials, media, sponsors and logistics personnel.

The rally will end in Nanning on October 26 with an award ceremony for drivers.