NANCHANG, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- The torch relay for the 7th Military World Games started in Nanchang on Thursday.

Nanchang is the capital city of east China's Jiangxi Province. Dubbed the cradle of the People's Liberation Army, the Nanchang Uprising saw some 20,000 soldiers breaking away from the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) forces, and produced the first army under the command of the Communist Party of China that eventually evolved into the PLA.

Nanchang boasts an over 2200-year history, and is filled with abundant cultural and natural resources.

The city is situated near the mountains and by the waters, with greenery covering 43 percent of the land and water another 29 percent. 89.6 percent of last year boasted good air quality.

The Military World Games is a multi-sport event for armed forces organized by CISM since 1995. This year, the games will be held Oct. 18-27, in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province.

The Games, held every four years, will see the biggest number of competition events ever, with more than 320 events in over 27 categories to be held.