Set in ancient chorus, bizarre lights, the "tree of Hippocrates" and mythic legends, the 12nd Summer Paralympic Games formally unfolded Friday night in celebrations of human strength and inspirations to exceed limits.

"The essence of the Paralympic spirit is a Greek heritage, expressed in just two words: harmony and excellence paired with nobility and ability," said Phil Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in his opening speech at the 70,000-seated Athens Olympic Stadium.

Noting that Paralympic sports are "about self-determination and empowerment," the IPC chief urged the over 3,800 participating athletes with disabilities to take the opportunities to "exercise these rights", by voting in the in the IPC Athletes Commission elections during the Games.

Paralympic sports have been gaining momentum in recent years. The Athens event will be the largest in the 44-year-long Paralympic history.

Debut in the Olympic cradle

It is the first time that the Paralympic Games, the second-largest sports event in the world after Olympic Games, to be held in Greece, the home of Olympic movement and cradle of western civilization.

Not surprisingly, the open ceremony show was full of mythic touches of the ancient Greek culture.

At the center of the show scene is a huge artificial plane tree represents "humanity without boundaries". It is a reinvention of an ancient tree where Father of Medicine Hippocrates (420 BC) cured his patients.

After Greek president Konstantinos Stephanopoulos declared open the Games, a 750-member choir stood out to sing in ancient Greek tunes.

As 136 Paralympic delegations paraded around the arena, a wide audience from worldwide frequently cheered for their favorites.

It was followed by a unique performance of ancient Greek philosophic concept of basic elements-fire, water, earth and air, in the name of "a journey to the sun".

The analogy was that "to test our own limits, let's return to the source of energy where life gets its essence," as the producers put it.

Finally, the nine-day Paralympic torch relay reached the destination as the flame was relayed along the stadium track to the final torchbearer. The designated torchbearer climbed up the stairs and ignited a fuse to launch a succession of fireworks that eventually light the 31-meter-long cauldron at the opposite end of the stadium.

At the end of a celebration where emotional intensity and impressive visual spectacle mingled, the Eternal Flame lit up the Olympic stadium.

Record setting gala

As the largest-ever Paralympic event, the Athens games scheduled to run through September 28, setting numerous records and yielded several "firsts".

The final tally of the participating delegations is 136, which is unprecedented in the history of the Paralympic Games. The number of athletes, team officials and volunteers have all beaten those of the previous games.

A total of 526 events of 19 sports will take place, which also has no precedence. New events include 5-side football, women's judo, women's sitting volleyball and cycling.

It is the first time that Summer Olympic Games and Summer Paralympic Games organized by a same organizing committee. It is also the first Paralympic Games that exempt the athletes of participation fees.

The host broadcaster will provide over 300 hours of broadcasting time, which is also a Games record in terms of airing time.

The organizers have promised to present an elite competition of the "highest standards", integrated with a unique historical, cultural and natural environment.

China, the hosts of the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, has been visible everywhere in the Greek capital. An eight-minute show featuring red lanterns and Beijing opera at the Olympic Games closing ceremony last month in the same stadium came out a big attraction.

And the capacity crowd in the stadium responded with cheers and applause at Friday's opening ceremony when the parading Chinese Paralymians displayed a blue banner with English reading "Thank you Athens!" and a five-meter-long red banner with English characters "Hello, Hellas, Welcome to China 2008!"

(Xinhua News Agency September 18, 2004)