Over 20,000 performers will take part in the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony; they will spend over three hours in the Beijing National Stadium in an effort of showing the world 5,000 years of Chinese history.
The time is almost up with just hours to go, seven years of preparation is about to be seen by billions of people around the globe. It is tradition in an Olympics Opening Ceremony to have fireworks and as China invented fireworks, we could be in for the best ceremony ever.
As with all Olympics Opening Ceremonies, details are always hard to come by and Beijing 2008 is no different. There have been a number of rumors as to what will be going on, one rumors was that the opening ceremony will set of 29,000 fireworks. This will be done in a number of sites throughout China.
All eyes will be on NBA star Yao Ming, he will be carrying the flag for China. We do not know who will have the greatest honor of taking the torch to the cauldron and light it. However; officials have said that the person is renowned for their sporting achievement.
House of Flying Daggers director, Zhang Yimou has been overseeing the Opening Ceremony and with an estimated bill of $100 million, we should all be in for the best Olympics Opening Ceremony ever.
Nice post. Btw did u know that the ancient Olympics captured the imaginations of the Greeks for more than a millennium until a Christianized Rome put a stop on the competitions in the fourth century AD. But the Olympic ideal did not die. Anyways which country do u think shall win the maximum gold medals?
Comment by Giftex Blog — August 8, 2008 @ 10:29 am
Loved it. I am in Australia and watched it on our Ch 7 and was totally awed by the beauty, pageantry, and music. I thought the whole covered everything that China as a country and culture has been known for, over the thousands of years.
Hope they bring out a dvd shortly, so I can relive some of the moments. Congratulations to Beijing Olympic COmmittee and Rick for all the effort, and to the thousands who took part. Just wish we had been there.
Comment by Prins Ford — August 9, 2008 @ 1:02 am
Definitely the BEST OLYMPIC OPENING CEREMONY EVER IS THE BEIJING OLYMPICS 2008!!! No question and without a doubt! I don’t see anyone topping this anytime soon. They showed the true olympic spirit of peace and harmony!!
from Shon of the United Stales Of America
Comment by shon — August 9, 2008 @ 5:07 am
I missed the opening ceremony (working) and figured I’d watch it online. I cannot find it anywhere. This is ABSURD. Even the crappy, low res, worthless youtube clips have been removed due to copyright violation. Fine, but put it SOMEWHERE!!!!
Geez!
Comment by Freddy — August 9, 2008 @ 6:59 am
I just watched it in the USA, and I have to agree, I want a dvd copy now! That ceremony was undescribeable in it’s magnificance. I especially loved the drums in the beginning and then Yao Ming and the little boy at the end, that was too precious.
China and Rick should be be proud of themselves and the amazing job they did.
You’re right Prins, wish I could have been there! It must have been 100x more spectacular in person.
Comment by Dory — August 9, 2008 @ 8:43 am
Absolutely the best Opening ceremony I can remember. The blending of traditions, unbelievable music… the film producer who mapped out the ceremony did his country very proud.
Wish I would have recorded it.. as I figured it would be just another opening ceremony. This one I will definitely seek out on DVD and buy… well worth remembering.
Comment by Tom — August 9, 2008 @ 2:23 pm
I think a big part of it was o copy from the olympic ceremony in Athens (2004). Very much similarity.
Comment by john — August 10, 2008 @ 4:26 pm
I would like to congratulate China on its inexpressibly spectacular and moving opening pageant performances. Never before have I been so impressed. The messages the pageant’s organizers sought to impart were not lost on these eyes and ears.
The Chinese have something of which to be unrepentantly proud.
I am told that the 2012 Olympics games will be held in London, England. Poor England! How can they possibly live up to this impressive precedent?
Well done, China! Well done, indeed!
Furthermore, I concurr with those who have already implicitly or emphatically suggested that DVDs be made available to the public as soon as possible.
Comment by Joshua — August 11, 2008 @ 10:50 am
I hope it will be on DVDV. Thanks
Comment by Cheakhmer — August 11, 2008 @ 1:54 pm
Pity some of it was faked.
Was lovely to watch while being Nieve to the lip sync/Fake fireworks, digitally altered imaged
Comment by PPffftt — August 15, 2008 @ 2:19 pm
I think a big part of it was o copy from the olympic ceremony in Athens (2004). Very much similarity.
Like the giant scroll….or the thousands of drummers….or the Chinese printing press….or the calligraphy….or the costumes….or the fireworks….or the flying torch…. yeah, you’re right, it was EXACTLY the same !!!
Comment by USfan — August 17, 2008 @ 10:23 pm
The ceremony was spectacular. Five thousand years of Chinese history flowed on a huge LED scroll that unrolled to chapters of China’s 5,000-year civilization.
Comment by Adam — August 21, 2008 @ 7:13 am
OK its normal to get exited with Beijing beeing the most recent of all.
In my opinion the ceremonies of Barcelona and even more Athens were much, much better. Just visit YouTube and you ‘ll know what I am talking about
Comment by dimi — August 27, 2008 @ 10:46 am
dimi>
Yeah, well I checked them all but I think I don’t know what you talking about.
much much better?
yeah right, which part tho? compare to which tho?
Comment by Aussie — August 27, 2008 @ 1:27 pm
2008 Beijing Opening Ceremony is out on DVD.
Here you go:
http://www.nbcdvd.com/
Comment by Jen — August 28, 2008 @ 7:08 am
PPffftt said:”Pity some of it was faked.
Was lovely to watch while being Nieve to the lip sync/Fake fireworks, digitally altered imaged”
No, all are REAL, all the fireworks are REAL. just 55-second footprint fireworks before the opening ceremony were simulated on TV, but in fact, there were 29 footprint fireworks fired above the sky at the same time as those simulated ones on TV though.
The NBC commentator specifically said, as the footage was being shown, that the event’s producers were using a cinematic interlude to convey the concept of the fireworks. The actual footprint firewoks WERE going off at the same time, and in much the same way… tourists and people in Beijing saw the footprint fireworks fired above sky.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbZrI8onelg
but there was simply no way to be sure they could show it well on TV - since it was hard to predict the weather or other cirumstances, and following those footprint fireworks could endanger the safety of the helicopter pilot. So, they showed a CGI illustration for the people watching TV. They weren’t hiding anything, they came right out and SAID what they were doing. The whole thing was real, there were indeed 29 footprint fireworks fired in the city above the sky at the beginning of the opening ceremony, only what you saw on TV was simulated.
As for the lip-synched girl, this is not the first time it happend in the Olympics and you are all silly to believe this. Salt Lake City Winter Olympics is a prime example. As the furry white creatures sang during the opening ceremony, it was actually pre recorded by SLC’s, Cathedral of the Madeleine’s choir school. In addition, Sydney 2000 and Torino 2006 Winter Olympics also had lip-synching performances.
And others like pre-recorded Lang Lang music, presenting China’s 56 ethnic groups without those ethnic groups. These are no big deal.
Political reasons aside, Beijing’s opening ceremony is most the most stunning and imposing show on the planet.
Comment by Kerry — September 2, 2008 @ 8:36 pm