Opening Ceremony Kicks Off 2008 Summer Olympic Game

Fireworks explode over the Beijing National Stadium during a recent dress rehearsal for the 2008 Olympic Opening Ceremony.

By Kelly Bronk
Staff Writer

August 8, 2008

Washington -- On 08/08/08 at 8:08 p.m. local time, more than 90,000 athletes, heads of state, journalists, sports enthusiasts and spectators attended the opening ceremony for the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing National Stadium.  China, which is hosting the XXIX Olympiad, opened the Summer Games with an extravagant more than three-hour ceremony that included thousands of actors, dancers and performers.

Opening ceremonies contain common Olympic rituals and traditions.  One of the most memorable aspects of each opening ceremony is the parade of nations, in which participating athletes from each country enter the stadium behind their national flag.

In Beijing, track athlete Lopez Lomong carried the American flag and led the United States team into National Stadium.  Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, came to America in 2001 as part of a program to relocate refugee orphans from the war-torn country. He became a U.S. citizen in July 2007.
“The American flag means everything in my life -- everything that describes me, coming from another country and going through all of the stages that I have to become a U.S. citizen,” Lomong has said.  “This is another amazing step for me in celebrating being an American.  Seeing my fellow Americans coming behind me [in the opening ceremony] and supporting me will be a great honor -- the highest honor.” (See “U.S. Olympic Team Reflects America’s Global Roots.”)

Traditionally, because it is the birthplace of the Olympics, Greece is the first country to march into the stadium, while the host country is the last team to file into the arena.  All other countries typically march into the arena in alphabetical order based on the host country’s language; in Beijing, the order was based on the stroke count of simplified Chinese characters.

Opening ceremonies contain common Olympic rituals and traditions.  One of the most memorable aspects of each opening ceremony is the parade of nations, in which participating athletes from each country enter the stadium behind their national flag.

In Beijing, track athlete Lopez Lomong carried the American flag and led the United States team into National Stadium.  Lomong, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, came to America in 2001 as part of a program to relocate refugee orphans from the war-torn country. He became a U.S. citizen in July 2007.

“The American flag means everything in my life -- everything that describes me, coming from another country and going through all of the stages that I have to become a U.S. citizen,” Lomong has said.  “This is another amazing step for me in celebrating being an American.  Seeing my fellow Americans coming behind me [in the opening ceremony] and supporting me will be a great honor -- the highest honor.” (See “U.S. Olympic Team Reflects America’s Global Roots.”)

Traditionally, because it is the birthplace of the Olympics, Greece is the first country to march into the stadium, while the host country is the last team to file into the arena.  All other countries typically march into the arena in alphabetical order based on the host country’s language; in Beijing, the order was based on the stroke count of simplified Chinese characters.

Typically, the host country uses the opening ceremony to portray its culture and history through elaborate theater and dance performances.  For the 2008 Games, the Beijing Organizing Committee selected filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Hero, The Road Home) to serve as general director for both the opening and closing ceremonies.  One of Zhang’s primary responsibilities is directing and producing the hourlong artistic performance, composed of two parts -- one emphasized China’s ancient civilization and another celebrated modern China.

“In many ways the opening ceremony sets the tone for the two weeks of competition and celebration that will follow,” said American television anchor Matt Lauer, who will report on the Olympic Games.

Near the end of the ceremony, the Olympic torch, which has been carried around the world by athletes, celebrities and citizens, was brought into National Stadium, also known as the “Bird’s Nest” because of its unique architecture, and was used to light a large cauldron.

A large fireworks display heralded the start of the opening ceremonies in Beijing. 

“In a world that has as many tensions as our world today, there is a moment of hope that comes from seeing all the world’s best, young athletes gather peacefully together,” said, Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, which will broadcast the games in the United States.  “When the record 205 nations, many of whom are in conflict with one another, come together on Friday it will represent a greater sense of cooperation than we get from any political body, including the U.N.”