Guangzhou Asian Games Ready to Kick Off
The 16th Asian Games Opening Ceremony will kick off at 20:00, November 12th, 2010 in Haixin Sha Park (or Haixin Island) of Guangzhou City, the capital of Guangdong Province in Southern China.
All the preparation work has been allegedly finished after the last rehearsal for the opening ceremony went through successfully last night, November 10th. Some local spectators who saw the rehearsal said the ceremony was as gorgeous as the Beijing Olympics'.
On the opening night, visitors will not only enjoy wonderful Chinese cultural performances such as Kungfu, traditional songs, and ethnic dances but also see marvelous fireworks show containing about 160,000 pieces which outnumber the Beijing Olympic and Shanghai Expo.
Different from the previous opening ceremonies of Asian Games, all of these highlights will be staged not in a stadium but on an island of the Pearl River, the mother river of Guangzhou and the third longest in China. During the ceremony, 45 well-illuminated traditional boats will sail to the venue along the River, showing the city's ancient sea cultures. So the audience can enjoy cultural feasts and see the fabulous night views of Guangzhou and the Pearl River at the same time.
Highlight One: Flying Trapeze Show
180 acrobats from a Henan kungfu school will dive from an 80-meter-high platform, performing all kinds of sports in order to demonstrate the ever sporting spirit of Faster, Higher and Stronger. With a huge white screen as its backdrop, it resembles a tremendous sail which shows the special sea cultures of Guangzhou City.
Highlight Two: China's Ark of Maritime Silk Road
200 local fishing women see off their men at a port, who are ready to launch out with a 28.8-meter-long, 8-meter-wide, 18-meter-high ship. With their generations-sung folks, this show re-stages touching scenes and cultures of China's efforts in exploring the famous Maritime Silk Road.
Highlight Three: World's largest Light Show
Performing on the island by the Pearl River and taking the dazzling city as its settings, the world's largest light show will take place here by more than 5,000 specially-designed lighting facilities, which will make the audience feel entering a fairyland.
Highlight Four: Fireworks Show
There will be an unbelievable Fireworks Show, rocketing as many as 160,000 fireworks into the sky from several spots. It will be the largest fireworks show that China has ever done, definitely awesome.
The 16th Guangzhou Asian Games will last 15 days, ending on November 27. Over 11,700 athletes from 45 Asian countries will compete in 42 sports events for 476 gold medals. Good luck to all the athletes!
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