Beijing 2008: The Most Spectacular Olympics Opening Ceremony
The Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It began at 8:00 PM China Standard Time (UTC+8) on 8 August 2008. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture. Organisers claim that the stadium was full to its 91,000 capacity.
More than 100 heads of state, heads of government and sovereigns attended the opening ceremony. The number of heads of state who attended the opening ceremony was by far the largest in Olympic history.
The ceremony was co-directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou along with Chinese choreographers Zhang Jigang and Chen Weiya. It was noted for its focus on ancient Chinese culture, and for its creativity, as well as being the first to use weather modification technology to prevent rainfall. The musical score for the ceremony was arranged by composer Tan Dun. The final ascent to the torch featured Olympic gymnast Li Ning, who appeared to run through air around the top ring of the stadium. Featuring more than 15,000 performers, the ceremony lasted over four hours and was reported to have cost over US$100 million to produce. The opening ceremony was lauded by spectators and various international presses as "the most spectacular Olympics Opening Ceremony ever produced".
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