2008 Summer Olympic Opening Ceremony - Beijing

www.olympicceremony.org 2004 Athens London 2012 The Games of the XXIX Olympiad Beijing, China
2008

Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing

Olympic Ceremony Records
italics indicate records at the time

First Olympic Ceremonies to Use LED Projection Floor
First Stadium Specifically Designed to Host a Ceremony Performance
First Cauldron Lit by Suspended Torchbearer
First Hidden Olympic Cauldron
Most Nations Participating (204) - previous Athens 2004 (201)
Most Olympic Events (302) - previous Athens (301)
Most Athletes Participating (11,028) - previous Sydney 2000 (10,651)

Olympic Torch Relay Records italics indicate records at the time

Most Torchbearers - 21,880 (previous Atlanta 1996 - 13,267)
Longest Torch Relay - 137,000km (previous Athens 2004 - 132,129km)
First Torch to Summit Mt. Everest

Opening Ceremony Beijing National Stadium "Bird's Nest" (91,000)
August 8, 2008
Official Report
Complete Video
(Viewer's Guide below in Ceremony Highlights) Opening Ceremony Highlights
Beijing offered the Olympic Ceremony on the grandest scale. Of course, many enjoy debating the importance of the event itself, however as it is commented in the video, Beijing produced the ceremony to an intricate level of near perfection, involving incredibly difficult coordinated stunts, and did so without any financial inhibition. Beijing created an amazing display with deep homage to its artistic culture and certainly is popularly rewarded as "the greatest ceremony in history". It however should not be confused with its importance to the Olympic Ceremony history. Beijing's influence is still yet to be seen, but surely it will live as one of the greatest spectacles in human history.

Welcome (2:50)

Drumming Sequence
Countdown with drums
Footprint firework sequence
Olympic Rings formed

National Anthem (15:20)
"Scroll" - artistic performance of mural art using large LED screen (19:30)
"Writing" - artistic performance of a human powered movable type press (24:50)
"Opera" - marionette performance of Peking opera
"Silk Road" - artistic performance of the maritime silk road with boats and costumed dancers; projected sea waves on the film awning above the stadium seats (31:00)
"Music" - palace created honoring the classic paintings of china (36:55)
"Starlight" - showcase of modern Chinese art; dancers form Bird's Nest, dove (40:15)
"Nature" - martial art display honoring nature (46:15)
"Dream" - Theme Song for the Beijing Games "You and Me" (53:20)
Parade of Nations (1:03:20)
Chinese President declares the games open (1:22:10)
Olympic Flag enters the stadium and is raised to the Olympic Hymn (1:23:00)
Torch enters stadium; Cauldron lit by Li Ning (Olympic Gymnast - 3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze in 1984) (1:27:20)