Tianshannet(Han Xue reported)In the morning of June 18th,9:45 am, dawaz performer,"Air Prince "Adil·Hoxur runned to the platform at the Aitigar Square of Kashgar ,the Olympic flame began its relay in Kashgar.

It' a sunny day in Kashgar.The starting ceremony is holding at the Aitigar Square of Kashgar at 9:30 am,in  the early morning ,many audiences gathered in the Aitigar Square ,they festively singed and danced,and cheered up for the Olympic torch relay .

Before the starting ceremony, all participants stood in silent tribute for one minute and audiences around the square prayed for the victims in the quake-hit area.

Leaders including Zhang Ming, Ambassador of Torch Relay of Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee and Vice Director of Torch Relay Center, Fu Qiang, Party Secretary and Secretary of Commission for Discipline Inspection, Tiliwaerdi·Abudurexiti, Vice Chairman of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Shi Dagang, Secretary of Kashgar Prefectural Commission, Aikebaier·Wufuer, Vice Secretary of Kashgar Prefectural Commission and commissioner of Administrative Office attended the starting ceremony today.

Huang Sanping,secretary of Prefectural Party Committee,expert of administrative office, presided the ceremony.

After the ceremony began, Zhang Ming  lit the torch from kindling light and handed it to Shi Dagang. Shi Dagang showed it and handled to the first torch bearer ,"Air Prince "Adil·Hoxur .

The dawaz performer,"Air Prince " Adil·Hoxur highly handed the Olympic torch,started the harmony trip named"Light the passion,Share the dream".

On the Aitigar Square of Kashgar,500 students decorated with Etles Satin and Uygur hats,they composed a sketch of Olympic Rings,which means that the five continents celebrate for the Beijing Olympic .

Kashgar Prefecture, with a total area of 162,000 kilometers, lies between latitude 350 to 408 north and longitude 730 to 797 east in the southern part of Xinjiang. index city, a place of strategic importance in south Xinjiang, has an area of 15 square kilometers with an average elevation of 1289.5 meters. The city is located between latitude 395 to 295 north and longitude 756 to 764 east and lies 1,473 kilometers from the city of Urumqi.

Located in the plain climate zone with the clear four seasons, index has a long summer and a short winter. The annual mean temperature in index is 11.7 , with the lowest temperature of -24.4 in January and the hottest 40.1 in July. The frost-free period averages 215 days.

index prefecture was called Shule in ancient times and it has a history of more than two thousand years. According to the record of the Persian Epic, Afulabuseyav, an ancient Tulan hero, established the capital of his kingdom here. In the beginning of the Han Dynasty, it belonged to the Zhuangpu Prefecture General's Office of the Hun. In the latter half of the second century B.C., after the Han Dynasty Emperor Wudi sent Zhang Qian as his special envoy to the Western Region, index submitted to the authorities of the Western Han Dynasty. During the first century, index was the supreme headquarters of Ban Chao, an imperial general who administered the Western Region. But at the end of the Sui Dynasty and in early Tang Dynasty, index had to pay taxes and levies frequently to the Western Turkish Khanate. During the reign of the Tang Dynasty Emperor Taizong and afterwards, it was an important military stronghold of the Tang government. index was one of the four important towns in Anxi at the time; thus it was made the seat of the Shule Superintendent's Office. The Karakhanid Dynasty also established its capital in Kashgar. Before Genghis Khan went on his western expedition, Kashgar was the south capital of the Western Liao Regime established by Khitans. After Khan's western expedition was over, Kashgar became the fief of the crown prince of Chagatai. During the reign of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong, Kashgar became the seat of government of the Kashgar Councilor of the Qing government.