The Flame for this year's delayed Asian Games has been lit ©OCA

The Flame for this year's delayed Asian Games in Hangzhou was lit today in the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City.

A ceremony with many parallels to the lighting of Olympic Torches in Ancient Olympia saw the Flame lit from the rays of the sun, using a concave mirror.

It was handed to Yi Lianhong, the secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, who ignited a cauldron. 

Dancers, playing the roles of ancient Liangzhu villagers, performed at the ceremony which was described as "serene and moving".

It took place with 100 days to go before the Opening Ceremony of Hangzhou 2022, which was pushed back by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Torch Relay is now due to start at West Lake - Hangzhou's most famous landmark - on September 8 before continuing through 11 cities in Zhejiang province.

The Relay will run until September 20, when delegates from National Olympic Committees throughout Asia will take their turn in carrying the Torch for 50 metres in a "symbol of unity".

The Opening Ceremony of Hangzhou 2022 is scheduled for the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium on September 23.

Today also saw the launch of the Asian Games Digital Torchbearer Online Relay campaign.

The ceremony came with 100 days to go before the Games in Hangzhou ©OCA
The ceremony came with 100 days to go before the Games in Hangzhou ©OCA

Fans can search for "Asian Games" on online payment platform Alipay, the official payment partner and digital life service platform partner of Hangzhou 2022.

They will then become digital Torchbearers by accessing "Smart Hangzhou 2022" and by doing so will "help spread the Flame of the Hangzhou Asian Games across Asia".

This will conclude with a digital lightning ceremony at the Opening Ceremony - a first for the Asian Games.

Those taking part will have the chance to win Asian Games prizes and tickets.

Liangzhu, to the north-west of Hangzhou, boasts some of the earliest recorded evidence of Chinese civilisation and is a world heritage site.

Its history can be traced back more than 5,300 years.

Elsewhere on the 100-day countdown, Chinese athletes and members of the international community in Hangzhou posted messages of "congratulations and pride".

They invited the public to "join in the excitement" of the 19th Asian Games, which are due to conclude on October 8.