JOIN USChina aim to give wings to dreams
In a break from the past, the festivities -- both opening and closing -- are being staged away from the main venue, with the river being an important element of the ceremony. A grand feast blending different cultures is in prospect -- tipped to be unique in concept and breathtaking in execution -- with Pearl river as the stage and the city as the background.
“The change of venue is a breakthrough as the venue is no longer an enclosed one (like a stadium) but an open space with unlimited extension of time and space. This is a breakthrough in Guangzhou,” said He Jiqing, the deputy director of the ceremonies.
“Water is the key element of the ceremony with a ‘Setting Sail’ segment featuring a boat parade demonstrating the charm of modern China and the unique Cantonese culture,” he said.
The boat parade will be in place of the traditional march past, with athletes from the 45 contingents arriving in separate boats to the Haixinsha Square. Musicians on board will play tunes from different regions of the continent while LED screens will images from these nations as well as from China, generating an ethereal ambience.
The cultural programme, named ‘Setting Sail,’ too is expected to provide an out-of-the-world experience, with performances tracing the history of this ancient land. Chen Weiya, the chief director of the ceremony, said charting the course of the programme was a difficult exercise. “People have high expectations from this opening ceremony.
They have seen the Beijing ceremonies which were highly successful. We also had a magnificent Asian Games in Doha. So the breakthrough in creativity was the biggest challenge.”
Weiya, who was the assistant director of the opening ceremony at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, said the intention was to take the event close to the people. “Going out of the stadium itself is meant to be together with the people. This time, we are doing it in a different way. We haven’t kept everything a secret. Instead, we are trying to invite as many people as possible to have their own glimpse of the opening ceremony. I personally like this approach, I think it is the way ordinary people would like. It is a festival, isn’t it?” he asked. Many ideas had to be dropped along the way before the final shape was given to the programme. “Imagination has wings but our feet are on the ground. To make imagination a reality you have to stand on the ground. We had to give up some bold and crazy thoughts along the way,” he said.
Though details of the ceremony are not a secret -- with the organisers having conducted many open rehearsals -- the lighting of the Games’ flame certainly is one. “It will be an unexpected surprise. It will be totally different from that of any big events in the past few years,” said Jiqing. The three-hour programme will begin at 5.30 pm IST.