Flame lighting ceremony for China's 15th National Games held in Guangzhou

With exactly a month to go, the ceremonial flame for China's 15th National Games, 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and 9th National Special Olympic Games was lit in Guangzhou on Thursday.

The "source flame" was extracted from combustible ice harvested from some 1,500 metres below the South China Sea in September. Aboard the research vessel Ocean Geology 2, the flame followed a Maritime Silk Road route to the Haima Cold Seep area before being brought ashore for the Guangzhou ceremony.

From there the torch embarks on a shorter, more terrestrial pilgrimage across the Greater Bay Area. November will see relays through Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and China's two special administrative regions (SARs) of Hong Kong and Macao as the flame tours these cities ahead of the Games.

China's 15th National Games will be held from November 9th to the 21st, while the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games will take place from December 8th to 15th.