Chinese crowds chanting "Go Olympics, Go Beijing" cheered the Olympic flame through the capital today at the end of a troubled global relay that saw another protest today.
A handful of foreign protesters took their chance to grab the spotlight before attention shifts on to the sporting contests.
Police arrested two Britons and two Americans who unfurled "Free Tibet" banners from poles near the main Bird's Nest stadium, and stopped other public protests during the day.
President George W. Bush, en route to Bangkok and then Beijing for Friday's opening ceremony, today expressed "deep concerns" over religious freedom and human rights in China.
In the opening ceremony on Friday, beamed to an estimated one billion television viewers around the world, a Sudanese-born athlete who fled government-sponsored militia will carry the US flag, in what could be seen as an embarrassment to Sudan and ally China.
Mr Bush says he is attending the ceremony for sport and not for politics, but he plans to pause en route to express "deep concerns" over religious freedom and human rights in China.
"America stands in firm opposition to China's detention of political dissidents, human rights advocates and religious activists," he will say in a speech in Bangkok tomorrow, excerpts of which were released in advance.
But the mood in Beijing was one of mounting excitement, however, with most of the 10,500 athletes from 205 countries now in town.
In Tiananmen Square, Beijing's symbolic heart best-known abroad for the crushing of 1989 protests, one of China's most famous sportsmen, 7ft 6in basketball player Yao Ming, said he was overwhelmed as he held the flame above a sea of beaming faces.
"After lighting it, my mind went blank, and then I just wanted to hurry up running ahead," said Yao, according to official news agency Xinhua.
Children wore "I Love China" T-shirts, and workers waved flags and pom-poms, while drums and cymbals resounded around Tiananmen under a portrait of late revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.
China's Communist leaders hope such images of the torch's final passage through the host city will help banish memories of Tibet protests dogging the flame in Paris, London and elsewhere.
The Dalai Lama, exiled spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, who has repeatedly distanced himself from protests against the Games, sent his best wishes to China. "This is a moment of great pride to the 1.3 billion Chinese people," he said from his home in northern India. "I send my prayers and good wishes for the success of this event."
To protect the athletes and guard against terrorism or protests, a 100,000-strong force is on hand in Beijing. Authorities intensified security this week after suspected Muslim separatists attacked a group of policemen with homemade explosives, killing 16, in the far west.
The Games have given China an unprecedented chance to showcase its modern face and economic progress but have also galvanised critics of its human rights record.
The United States said it would protest to China over its decision to revoke the visa of Olympic gold medallist Joey Cheek, an activist for the Sudanese region of Darfur where China is accused of failing to help end the crisis.
Police also banned US swimmer Amanda Beard from holding a pro-animal rights news conference. Instead, she took to the street to unveil a nude photo of herself saying "Don't wear fur".
According to Students for a Free Tibet, the group that claimed responsibility for this morning's demonstration, the four protesters were Americans Phill Bartell and Tirian Mink, and Britons Iain Thom and Lucy Marion.
They climbed up the Beichen overpass along the Fourth Ring Road south of the venue, unravelling two banners at about 5am today that read “One World, One Dream: Free Tibet'' in English and “Free Tibet” in Chinese. All four are expected to be deported at the earliest opportunity, according to Chinese news agency Xinhua.
“The gathering is illegal and we're strongly against it,'' a Beijing Olympic Games spokesman told reporters at a Beijing press briefing, adding that he hoped foreigners coming to China would abide by rules for demonstrations.
Demonstrations around the torch's international legs offended many Chinese, who see the Games as a moment of national pride for a nation some view as the emerging 21st century superpower.
"It's not just about the sport, it's about the image of China," said a member of the officially organised torch crowd. "Chairman Mao would have been happy if he were here today"
The start of the flame's passage through Beijing took place under smog-filled skies. Some $18 billion of cleanup measures have reduced contamination to safe levels, according to Olympics chiefs, but not produced the sunshine and blue skies China wants.
Anxious US cyclists yesterday arrived with face-masks on, though that drew disapproval from the International Olympic Committee, which said it was unnecessary. The athletes later apologised.
The first competition of the Games, women's soccer, began with three matches. World champions Germany drew 0-0 with Brazil in front of a sparse crowd in Shenyang. Men's soccer starts tomorrow.
At the weekend, the eagerly awaited swimming competition begins in the new "Water Cube" pool, another shimmering landmark for the Olympics. American Michael Phelps is seeking to smash compatriot Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven golds in one Games.
Reuters