Beijing 2008 - 29th Summer Olympics

Let the Games begin!

After eight years preparation time, with spectacular ceremony where the ancient Chinese history was interlaced with the most modern technology, the 29th Summer Olympic games was opened


By WAVE Team
from Belgrade, SERBIA


"The friends came from the distance, we are happy because of that", the army of 2008 drummers scanned the popular Confucius's sentence. About 14,000 performers in the sumptuous costumes presented five millenniums last history of China, and then everything culminated with the vision of global harmony according to the motto of Games - "One world, one dream". After that it started the sport's defile. Olympic torch in the stadium lighted the legendary Chinese gymnast Li Ning, three gold medals winner on Olympic Games in Los Angeles 1984. Illuminated olympic rings were lifted up on the very top of stadium "Bird's nest" in the beginning of the ceremony.

All the tickets for competitions are sold out and Chinese people expect from their competitors to win unprecedented number of medals, perhaps more than any other country. The most significant is a famous basketball player Jao Ming who was carrying the flag of the host country, in the opening ceremony.

The Olympics organization is supervised by the greatest security measures ever seen in China. In the streets of Beijing are about hundred thousands of supplement soldiers and police officers, and the airport was closed for four hours.

Sportsmen, tourists, politicians...

Over ten thousands sportsmen from 204 countries, tourists, journalists, presidents and prime ministers of countries from nearly whole world assembled in Beijing in the week before start of Olympic games. The biggest and the most expensive Games ever is also the chance for China to show its' come-back on the world scene through the big door, after decades of communism.

Although that above Olympic Games were hovering numerous controversies - about struggling with the protest on Tibet and about human rights conditions in China - world public attention was directed on spectacular opening ceremony which had been prepared for seven years. Decisive to show the world what are its possibilities, China didn't miss a thing, esteem the reporters.

Four billion visitors

The opening ceremony was watched through tv programme all over the world and according to reports the number of spectators was about four billion people. One of the functionaries in the organizing board, Tiu Mingte, said that Chinese people were "proud and excited" about this event. "Chinese people are really looking forward to the beginning of Olympic games", he confirmed. The hosts hope that the other questions like air pollution, limitation with Internet and prohibition of political protests in China will be repressed in the second plan when Games start. The President of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jack Rogue had been pleading the IOC decision to assine an organization of Olympic Games to China. He said that he had hope that Games wiil be the chance for China to understand the rest of the world, but also for the rest of the world to understand China.

The eighth day of eighth month

The Games started on the eighth day of the eighth month in a year - for Chinese people it's very important thing because, according to Vivien - student from Beijing, number eight in China has a very big significance. "That's very interesting - number eight on Chinese has a very simmilar pronuntiation like the expression "get rich", she says. An astrology has had very important role in a life of Chinese man for thousands years - stars positions, according to ancient belief, determine a happiness of an individual, but also a prosperity of whole country.

"Number eight is a very lucky number in Chinese culture. On Chinese it is pronounced FA - and we have the same pronuntiation of the word "prosperity". Eight is important in Feng-shui calendar, which begins with 2637 year BC. Every twentieth year in that calendar has it's lucky number. Eight has been a dominate number since 2004 and it will be until 2024."

According to traditional Chinese calendar, August 8 is the day of success. It's the day for signing contracts, moving, wedding, and also for opening ceremonies. So, numerous couples in China have decided to get married on particularly that day, and large number of future mothers signed in induced deliveries in hope that a birth on that day would bring luck to their children.


(Published: 10.08.2008.)