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On Monday, the devastated town of Mianyang saw the arrival of the Olympic torch, which was believed to raise the spirits and give hope to the many disaster victims of the 7.9 earthquake which leveled much of Sichuan Province, killing almost 70,000 people.

“It’s a way to encourage the victims to rebuild. The torch is a symbol of strength and will encourage them to carry on the tenacious struggle,” said Hu Lu, 27, a businesswoman and one of the 88 torchbearers.

The flame was carried around Jiu Zhou Stadium for an hour where thousands of earthquake refugees sought shelter. The stadium has been cleaned up since and its entrance was adorned with plants and flowers and banners to welcome the torch bearers and the flame.

Many spectators were heard cheering “No difficulty can beat the spirit of Chinese people”, “Go China!” and “Go Sichuan!”