Olympic flame starts journey through Beijing

BEIJING (Reuters) - Flag-waving crowds cheered the Olympic torch through China's national capital on Wednesday when it began the final steps of a relay marked by patriotic pomp, controversy and strict security.

The flame for the Beijing Games started its final journey from the ancient Forbidden City, once home of China's emperors, where crowds shouted "Go Olympics, Go China!." It will reach the main Bird's Nest Stadium on Friday for the opening ceremony.

People lining the torch route near Tiananmen Square, symbolic heart of the capital, brandished white Games banners and red national flags, reflecting the ardent patriotism that has accompanied the torch since it began its 130-day journey.

"It's not just about the sport, it's about the image of China," said Xi Li, one of thousands of officially-organized well-wishers near the entrance of the Forbidden City.

"We've waited and waited so long for the Olympics to start," said Zhang Haiping, a retired office worker who had turned out for a glimpse of the torch. "I feel proud. I just hope nothing more goes wrong."

'EXCITING FEELING'

Thousands of other people not pre-selected to view the relay stood nearby, to get as close as they could to the torch but many had to settle for hearing the roar of the crowds.

Liu Shanhua, a 32-year-old salesman, woke up at dawn to see the spectacle. "It's still worth it," Liu said. "But I really do wish I had gotten to see it myself -- that would have been a really exciting feeling."

Tens of thousands of troops, police and plain clothes security guards on Beijing streets underscored official worry about security after militants killed 16 border police in China's far northwest Xinjiang province on Monday.

In a tradition introduced before the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the flame is lit from the sun's rays in ancient Olympia, Greece, then carried across the globe by thousands of runners.

This time the tour was a lightning rod for protests in Paris, London and other cities over China's rule of Tibet, offending many ordinary Chinese who see the Games as a moment of national pride.

Beijing's residents have been warned they will face sweeping security to prevent any more trouble -- and bad publicity -- on the last leg of the tour ahead of Friday's opening ceremony.

Beggars and hawkers, who usually gather on street corners, were removed months ago and security authorities have also placed dissidents and potential protesters under house arrest.

(Additional reporting by Paul Majendie and Guo Shipeng)

(Editing by Jon Bramley)