By Li Zheng, People’s Daily
The opening of the 24th Olympic Winter Games betokened a brilliant bond between China and the Olympics as it coincided with “Lichun,” or the Start of Spring, the first of the Chinese 24 solar terms.
It glittered with Chinese culture from the very start when a 24-second countdown performance was staged, with each second representing one of the 24 solar terms. Then a three-dimensional cube that resembled a block of ice was gradually broken and turned into crystal clear Olympic rings. Children from rural areas in north China’s Hebei province sang the Olympic Anthem wearing stylized tiger heads on their costumes and shoes to mark the Year of the Tiger.
These details displayed traditional Chinese culture in a modern way and enriched the aesthetics of the Olympics with Chinese elements, showing to the world the unique charm of the Chinese culture.
Those appreciated by the world must have their distinctive national features. As a matter of fact, Chinese marks have been left on the Beijing 2022 since the start of the preparations for the sports gala. The National Ski Jumping Center, a major venue for the Beijing Winter Games, is built in the shape of a “Ruyi,” a traditional Chinese auspicious ornament that connotes the meaning of “good luck.” The National Speed Skating Oval, the only new venue built for ice competition, has “ice ribbons” around it made of curved glass.
Besides, the design of the emblem of the Games was inspired by the Chinese character for “winter,” and the Beijing Winter Olympic flame lantern also drew inspiration from a bronze lamp dating to the Western Han Dynasty (206BC-25AD). In addition, the sports pictograms of the Beijing 2022 were designed based on traditional Chinese seal engraving.
The Beijing 2022 is a window through which the world can both see the profound culture of China and witness the major country’s demeanor and progress.
Better sports help make China stronger, and a stronger China would in turn make sports better. Sports are an indicator of national strength and a symbol of national unity.
Fourteen years ago, the 29th summer Olympic Games in Beijing presented the wonders of sports to numerous people around the world. Today, as a city that has hosted both the summer and winter editions of the Games, Beijing is once again attracting the attention of the globe.
It was stirring to see representatives from all walks of life and the nation’s 56 ethnic groups passing the national flag to the flagpole at the Beijing 2022 opening ceremony.
Civilizations have become richer and more colorful with exchanges and mutual learning. At the opening ceremony, “snowflake” elements appeared in every link, from the countdown performance to the placards leading the athletes in the parade of nations, and from the peace dove performance to the background when the theme song for the opening ceremony was sung.
As the 91 placards, representing 91 participating countries and regions, formed a giant snowflake, it sent a message that the world is a commonwealth that should unite together for a shared future.
Under the sky that was lit up by the Olympic torch, guests and friends from across the world gathered in the ancient capital of Beijing. The grand sports event has turned “you” and “I” into “us,” building a bridge of communication for athletes and people from different countries and regions. It is a platform for exchanges and mutual learning among the diverse civilizations around the world and has injected a strong impetus into the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
