Following high-profile search for Olympic emblem and mascot designs, Beijing organizers Tuesday launched another global campaign to seek the design for the torch of the 2008 Games.

Each participant is allowed to submit a maximum of three proposals, and the deadline for submission is February 28, 2006, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) said.

Designers of the top three picks will each be awarded 50,000 yuan (about 6,188 US dollars), with the final design to be unveiled in the middle of next year.

"The torch design competition is an important part of our preparation work," Zhang Ming, deputy director of BOCOG's Culture and Ceremonies Department, told a press conference here on Tuesday.

"We are expecting a creative and unique design that can showcase the unique characteristics of the Beijing Games."

Apart from the worldwide solicitation open to all, BOCOG will also invite specialized art or industrial design institutes as well as individual designers, including those having involved in the torch designs for previous Games, to contribute their works, said Zhang.

Anyone interested can download request forms for proposals and other related documents from BOCOG's official website -- www.beijing2008.com.

As for the route for the torch relay, Zhang said BOCOG has worked out an initial plan but she could not give any details.

"We will announce the route between January and February 2007,"said Zhang.

As one of the most influential promotional activities in the world, the Olympic torch relay has played a significant role in spreading the Olympic spirit and showcasing the culture and history as well as the economic and social developments of the host city and host country.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2005)