A torch relay will be held in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Shenzhen this Saturday ahead of the official opening of the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG) on December 8, with 50 torchbearers taking part in the exercise.

With 50 torchbearers taking part in each of the four cities, there will be a total of 200. Shenzhen will hold a torch relay launching ceremony at 9am on Saturday. Ceremonies will be held in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangzhou at 9.30am, and the four relays will start simultaneously.

The total route length of the Hong Kong relay is approximately 9 kilometres.

Starting from the Central Government Offices in Tamar, it will pass through the Central & Western District Promenade (Central Section), the Wan Chai Temporary Promenade, the Monument in Commemoration of the Return of Hong Kong to China, and Golden Bauhinia Square.

Torchbearers will carry the torch across Victoria Harbour by Star Ferry before it continues along its Tsim Sha Tsui route. This will run from the Star Ferry Bus Terminus on Salisbury Road to Mody Lane, passing by the Cultural Centre and the Museum of Art.

Torchbearers will then take an open-top bus to the bus terminal at the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP). After entering the KTSP, the torch will pass by the bronze statue at the main entrance of the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground. It will be passed along the running track, before the last torchbearer lights the cauldron, at which point a closing ceremony will take place.

Representatives of the four cities will return the individual flames to Guangzhou after the torch relay. A flame-gathering ceremony will be held at around 5pm in the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center, ahead of the lighting of the main torch for the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG.

To facilitate the relay in Hong Kong, special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented.