On Tuesday, May 27, 2008, the Olympic Torch Relay reached Nanjing, China, the capital of the prosperous Jiangsu Province. The event was postponed three days to allow a period of national mourning following the earthquake in Sichuan Province. Lively and large-scale public displays of patriotism and nationalism are relatively rare in China, but the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing are a perfect excuse to take to the streets. Street vendors filled the streets with arrays of "I (heart) China" t-shirts, national and Olympic flags, and other memorabilia. Thousands of spectators followed the torch on a protracted route through the southern outskirts of Nanjing, shouting "Zhong guo, Jia you!" meaning roughly "Go China!" The Olympic Games are seen by many Chinese as a chance to display China's arrival as a global superpower, and the population is anxious to make sure the Games and the events leading up to them reflect well on the China. The pride of a nation is at stake.
 
You can see more images from this at my photo archive: China Olympic Torch Relay - Nanjing