The Olympic flame will travel in Shandong province from July 21 to 23.

    The relay in Shandong will span five cities, instead of the previously scheduled eight cities. Taking weather and route's distance into consideration, Yantai, Rizhao and Weihai were removed from the torch relay route, according to Si Anmin, deputy secretary-general of Shandong provincial government.

    A total of 832 torchbearers will participate in the torch relay, running a distance of 44.7 kilometers in Shandong.

    The first stop will be Qingdao, the host city of the Olympic sailing competiton, on July 21.

    After a 3-hour relay in Qingdao, the sacred flame will go to Linyi, noted for its "Yimeng spirits" which contributed a lot to the victory of the Chinese revolution and the war of resistance against Japanese aggression, in the afternoon.

    From Linyi, the Olympic flame will travel to Qufu, the birthplace of Confucianism and then to Taian, which is famous for Mount Taishan around the world.

    The last stop is Jinan, the capital of the province, also known as "spring city", on July 23.

    Shandong is one of the most important birthplaces of Chinese culture. The five cities on the torch relay, combining traditional cultures with modern development, can best showcase the characteristics of Shandong.