The Launch Ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Para Games Torch Relay was held at Xiushui Square near Qiandao Lake in Hangzhou's Chun'an County on October 19.

The Launch Ceremony of the Hangzhou Asian Para Games Torch Relay, 19 October 2023.

After the Launch Ceremony, the torch passes through Chun'an, Jiande, Tonglu, Fuyang, and Xiaoshan in Hangzhou. On October 22, the torch will arrive at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium and the main torch tower will be ignited then.

The first leg of the Torch Relay started at Hangzhou's Chun'an County on the morning of October 19 at Xiushui Square, with 82 torchbearers participating.

Tan Yujiao, the first torchbearer, in Chun'an, 19 October 2023. 

Tan Yujiao, the gold medalist of Tokyo Paralympic Games in Powerlifting, became the first torchbearer of Chun'an leg of the Torch Relay. Tan has broken the world record 19 times, and remains the world record holder for Women's Powerlifting 67kg event.

She felt honoured to be the first torchbearer of Hangzhou Asian Para Games and hopes to convey the athletes' spirit of tenacity, self-improvement and the pursuit of excellence to the world.