The Olympic torch began its three-month tour in China on tropical Hainan Island in the South China Sea without incident on Sunday - unlike its international leg, which was met with many protests, the CBC reported.
Actor Jackie Chan and basketball star Yi Jianlian were among the 208 celebrities and athletes who carried the Olympic torch through the resort of Sanya as it began its tour across every Chinese province and region before the Summer Olympics begin on Aug. 8.
The only trouble encountered by those taking part in the relay Sunday was that the torch's flame was extinguished briefly at the beginning of the ceremony as it was being passed from a local leader to former Olympic speedskating gold medallist Yang Yang. But it was quickly relit.
In recent weeks, the international Olympic torch relay has been plagued by protests in London, Paris and other cities, where demonstrators voiced their disapproval of Beijing's policies and treatment of Tibet.
Sunday's torch relay coincided with a meeting between the Dalai Lama's envoy and Chinese officials that marked the first talks between the two sides since violent anti-government protests erupted in Tibet.
The meeting's exact location in Shenzhen, a southern town close to Hong Kong, was not disclosed.
The torch's tour across mainland China will likely be trouble-free, although disruptions may occur during the relay in Tibet or the western region of Xinjiang. China's plans to take a special flame to the top of Mount Everest faced a setback over the weekend as snow fell on the world's highest mountain. A climbing team has been waiting at a base camp for at least three days, waiting for good weather to allow it to take the flame to the summit.
After three days on Hainan Island, the torch moves to Guangdong province in southern China, where millions of migrant workers are employed, making everything from Honda vehicles to Nike shoes.