1. Spectacular Olympic Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games was held in Beijing on August 8. Well-known Chinese Director Zhang Yimou, famous for displaying Chinese elements in his movies, directed the ceremony. With spectacular performances and high technology, the Chinese civilization of 5,000 years was presented to the entire world at the ceremony. In a huge unrolled scroll, a form of books in ancient China, the four great inventions of China-papermaking, moveable-type printing, compass and gunpowder, the Silk Road and other highlights of the Chinese culture were shown to a global audience.

More than 80 world leaders, joined by an audience of 90,000, watched the dazzling visual feast at the newly built National Stadium of China, known as Bird's Nest. Over 14,000 persons participated in the performance, and billions of people around the world watched the spectacle on TV.

(Beijing Review December 27, 2008)