Cheers greet Olympic torch in Vietnam
The Olympic torch was warmly welcomed in Vietnam
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Tuesday, 29, Apr 2008 06:17
The Olympic torch has been warmly welcomed in Vietnam's capital city Ho Chi Minh.
Thousands of supporters turned out to welcome the torch as it made its way through the city, marking the final leg of the torch's international tour.
There was no sign of the protests which have marred the Olympic flame's relay from Athens to Beijing.
The torch is passing through 22 countries ahead of the opening ceremony on August 8th.
Demonstrators worldwide have been using the torch's journey as an opportunity to protest against China's human rights record and its handling of recent uprisings in Tibet.
And mass demonstrations have been witnessed in London, Paris and San Francisco.
The Xinhua state news agency described today's relay as a "night of great passion".
The news agency claimed there were "smiles, cheers, screams and applause everywhere" as the torch made its way along its route.
Xinhua quoted Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, the deputy mayor of Ho Chi Minh, as saying: "I hope we can take the advantage of the relay to demonstrate the love of sports in Vietnam, to show our friendship and hospitality.
"I also hope the arrival of Olympic flame can stimulate the Vietnamese team to turn out good results in the Beijing Games," he added.