HANGZHOU: The West Lake has been an inspiration of calm and relaxation for a dozen centuries. Marco Polo, who introduced it to the West, said the "minds and thoughts" of pleasure-seekers there were "intent upon nothing but bodily pleasures and the delights of the society".

The other side of the lake was displayed yesterday when hundreds of thousands of people gathered on its bank to show their support for the Olympics and sympathy with earthquake victims.

Beside the Games' slogans like "One World, One Dream", they held up banners bearing "One Home, One Concern" and other self-created slogans in support of rescue efforts in Sichuan.

"Hangzhou is usually not this way," said Zhao Luxian, 63, a retiree who came with her friends from Hangzhou Senior Citizens' Dancing Club.

"People care more about good food and fun than national issues, so I never expected so many of them to be here."

Li Lingwei, a 13-time world badminton champion who led off the 208 torchbearers in the capital of East China's Zhejiang province yesterday, said: "We at Hangzhou think that we can convey through the relay a message to the earthquake victims that we are backing them."

Hangzhou residents have donated more than 200 million yuan ($28.6 million) for earthquake victims in Sichuan, said Hangzhou Mayor Cai Qi at the closing ceremony of the torch relay yesterday.

The relay in Hangzhou started from the downtown Zhejiang People's Great Hall, went around the West Lake and ended at the Yellow Dragon Stadium.

It stretched for 18 km and passed lakeside attractions, such as the "Orioles Singing in the Willows" and the "Bridge of Broken Hearts".

On Saturday the Olympic torch relay passed through Wenzhou and Shaoxing of the province.

In Wenzhou it went past the Jiangxin Island in the Oujiang River, which was mentioned in works of many poets, such as Li Bai (AD 701-762) and Li Shutong (1880-1942).

In Shaoxing it passed the former residence of essayist and novelist Lu Xun, who was born in the small city in 1881.

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad has decided to pause the ongoing torch relay from today to Wednesday, in memory of the victims of the Sichuan earthquake.