Throughout the history of the Olympic Game the opening ceremony is crucial, because it portends the extent by which it is presented. The one held weeks ago in Beijing is a spectacular and spellbinding display and took a total of four hours, and at a cost of around 100million dollars to produce.
The opening of the Olympics in China was timed to coincide 08,08,08, that is August 8, 2008 and at approximately 8:08pm, the number is associated with prosperity and confidence inherent in the Chinese culture. Then it was followed by various cultural presentations, highlighting among others paper, an invention of the Chinese.
Then the parade of nations came in carrying their own country flags, the only difference in that they were not in alphabetical order but based on each country's Chinese character. Thus Guinea entered the stadium after Greece while the
Australian flag was at the tail end just ahead of the
Zambia flag. As usual, the host country's contingent and colors entered the stadium last.
Amidst the speeches of Olympic dignitaries, the Olympic flag was brought in, carried by eight former Chinese athletes and was later turned over to the soldiers of the Liberation Army, hoisted and the Olympic Anthem was sang. Then the Olympic flame that symbolically emanated from Athens entered the stadium as a continuation of the Beijing relay and was finally passed to Li Ning, a former gymnast champion suspended in the air, wired as he lit the Olympic cauldron.
Sad to say the opening ceremony was marred by hitches. There was the opening ceremony rehearsal leakage; a girl was caught lip-synching the "Ode to the Motherland;" then the computer-simulated fireworks. Amidst it all the presentation was a huge success.
by:
The Flagman
