On 8th February, 2022, Local media Daily Observer carried an article authored by Her Excellency Madame Zhang Yanling, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Antigua and Barbuda, titled “Beijing 2022 Opening Ceremony: A Song of Unity and Hope” in which she attracted attention of the readers to the highlights of the Beijing 2022 opening ceremony. The full text is as follows:
The Beijing Olympic Winter Games raised its curtains on February 4. Committed to organizing a green, inclusive, open and clean Games, China has made every effort to counter the impact of COVID-19, earnestly fulfilled its solemn pledge to the international community, and ensured the smooth opening of the Beijing Olympic Winter Games as scheduled. I would like to take this opportunity to share with my Antiguan and Barbudan friends some highlights of the Beijing 2022 opening ceremony.
It was a ceremony that integrated Chinese aesthetics. The opening day of the 2022 Winter Olympics coincided with the "Beginning of Spring", which is the first of the 24 solar terms of the year marking the beginning of a new season for growth. It was used to count down the last seconds before the ceremony, reflecting the Chinese people's understanding of time. An opening performance featured performers swaying 10-metre-long tubes of neon green to visualize waving grass in the spring wind and a child blowing on a dandelion sending the white seeds into the air, showcasing the vitality of the revival of life. The Olympic Rings in ice on display was surrounded with the artistic conception of an ancient Chinese poem about the Yellow River, China’s Mother River. The moment started with a projection of a drop of blue ink falling from the sky that turned into a yellow river that came down from above. A giant LED screen on the ground illuminated the floor in aqua blue to make it a huge "ice rink”. A colossal ice Cube then rose above the ground. Six performers dressed in ice hockey suits strike the ice cube with puck shots emulated by light beams, breaking the ice apart to reveal crystals in the shape of the Olympic Rings. Described as an "ice breaking" moment, the segment was designed to encourage the world to break barriers, approach and understand each other.
It was a ceremony driven by low-carbon concept and enhanced by technological innovation. Beijing Winter Olympic Games departed from the tradition of previous Olympic Games by not really "igniting" the Olympic flame. Instead, the cauldron was “lit”by pushing the handheld-sized last torch into the centre of the snowflake, which was then raised mid-air. It was the first time in the 100-year-plus history of the Olympic Games when a small-size flame replaced the traditionally larger flame. The idea is to stay true to the concept of low-carbon emissions and being environmentally friendly , and also the concept that the whole world could be lighted up with one little spark. The flame is fueled by hydrogen, which produces no carbon dioxide when burned. The fireworks display also adhered to the concept of simplicity and environmental protection, which was limited to three times in total, altogether lasting three minutes. These technology-enhanced fireworks are non-toxic and less smoky, which greatly reduced the impact of fireworks on the environment. During the performance of "Snowflake", the theme song of the opening ceremony, every child running freely in the stadium had a snowflake following wherever he/she went. This visual spectacle was realized using the edge-cutting technology of real time data capture. Such a large scale application of AI and AR technology on nearly 800 people in 10,552 square meters of high-definition LED screens is rarely seen.
It was a ceremony that called for unity and sent a message of hope. With the theme of "One World, One Family”, central narrative throughout the opening ceremony was that while "no two snowflakes are alike", thousands of different snowflakes from all over the world gather in Beijing and assemble into a giant snowflake of humankind. After the Parade of Athletes, the snowflake-like placards imprinting the names of all 91 teams taking part formed a giant snowflake featured olive branches in a symbol of peace. Hundreds of children carrying glittering "peace doves" gathered from all directions at the center of the stadium, forming a heart shape around the giant snowflake. When the last handheld torch was set into the giant snowflake, it became the Olympic cauldron. This segment told a common story of "being us", reflected the concept of “stronger together", conveyed a warm touch in difficult times, and demonstrated the vision of the world family coming“together for a shared future". The opening ceremony also showed the world the unity of the Chinese people. The Chinese national flag was passed hand to hand by the Chinese citizens representing people from 56 ethnic groups and all walks of life as it entered the stadium. Two young athletes－men's Nordic combined competitor Zhao Jiawen and women's cross-country skier Dinigeer Yilamujiang, the latter from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region－jointly held the flame at the final leg of the torch relay.
As International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said in his speech at the opening ceremony, “This is the mission of the Olympic Games: bringing us together in peaceful competition.”
Beijing 2022 is the first session of the Winter Olympics Games since a change was made to the Olympic motto, which added "Together" to "Faster, Higher, Stronger". Echoing the concept of “Together”, The Beijing Winter Olympics, with its motto "Together for the Future", will be a vivid illustration of the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind in the Olympic arena.