The seabed flared as a remotely operated submersible probed more than 1,500 metres below the sea. Bubbles rose from combustible ice at a cold spring; a robotic arm collected a sample, and a solar-power unit ignited a flame on the seabed. The crew secured the resulting deep-sea flame for transport for the 15th National Games, the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th Special Olympic Games, which will be held across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

Mai Wenhui, Deputy Leader of the Flame Collection Team 

The operation produced zero pollution and zero emissions, ensuring the staging of this sporting event while protecting the ecosystem. Beyond that, this flame integrates culture, sport and technology — something unprecedented in the history of the National Games.

China’s research vessel Marine Geology No. 2 sailed from Nansha carrying a 4,500-metre-class remotely operated submersible for the mission. After the undersea ignition, the submersible surfaced at 6 p.m. Researchers used an ignition rod to transfer the deep-sea flame into a custom fuel box, then brought the sample ashore.