The "flying ribbon", the official torch of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, attracted the world's attention at the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics on Feb 4 – and the Haimen district of Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province played its part in the proceedings.

The torch consists of an outer ribbon-shaped shell, an inner section and a hydrogen combustion device.

A sample of the flying ribbon stands proudly in the exhibition hall of Nantong Golden Auto Parts Technology Co Ltd. [Photo/WeChat account: jshmrb]

With wide-ranging experience in metal surface treatment and heat treatment, Nantong Golden Auto Parts Technology Co Ltd – an auto parts manufacturer based in Haimen district – was assigned with the task of assembling the outer ribbon-shaped section and the spraying of flame retardant materials by the organizing committee of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

General manager Huang Weijian said a team from elsewhere handed over the key components and his company was responsible for putting it together, polishing it and spraying it with flame retardant. "Each step had no room for error," Huang added.

In the wake of being given the task in October last year, over 20 key technical personnel in the company formed into four groups, responsible for various stages of the final manufacturing process.

After eight months of hard work and countless trial and error, research into the torch flame retardant undertaken by Golden Auto Parts Technology was said to have been lauded by the organizing committee of the Beijing Winter Olympics and the International Olympic Committee.