Winter Olympics opening ceremony to be ‘different’

Sports fans can expect the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing to be “different” from that of the 2008 Games, which was also held in the Chinese capital, with a cauldron lighting method that will be “unprecedented”, according to chief director Zhang Yimou.

Zhang, who also directed the opening and closing ceremonies for Beijing’s 2008 Summer Games, will be behind the wheel again for the ceremonies for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, making the 71-year-old the first person to direct both the Summer and Winter Games ceremonies as Beijing makes history as the first city to host both.

“It’s a great honor to direct the opening ceremony for the second time,” Zhang said, adding that “the burden is very heavy”.

“I hope to make a good impression and create some wonderful moments that will go down in history,” he said.

A renowned Chinese filmmaker, Zhang has been nominated three times for the Academy Award for best foreign language film — for Ju Dou (made in 1990), Raise the Red Lantern (1991) and Hero (2002).

The scintillating opening ceremony of the 2008 Games added to his prestige. He also masterminded Beijing’s eight-minute handover performances at Athens 2004 and Pyeongchang 2018.

Zhang said he never thought of repeating the highly rated 2008 masterpiece.

“Of course, we know that we cannot repeat Beijing 2008, so we are striving to be different from it.”

Besides incorporating characteristics of the Winter Olympics and winter sports in next month’s opening ceremony, Zhang said the theme will not be the same.

“In 2008, the Olympics were a brilliant stage and chance for our country to show ourselves,” he said.

“In the wake of the pandemic, the world needs a new and strengthened vision, and that is people of the world coming together to face difficulties and looking forward to a bright future.”

The opening ceremony will be in keeping with Beijing’s efforts to stage a “simple, safe and splendid” Games, Zhang said.

There will be no lengthy, large-scale performance, with the number of performers cut from 15,000 in 2008 to 3,000, and the duration of the ceremony reduced to less than 100 minutes due to the cold weather and the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the quality will not be affected by the decrease in quantity.

After the plan for the opening ceremony was finalized in May last year, and the stage design completed in October, performers began rehearsals in the National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest.

One of the most anticipated parts of the opening ceremony is the lighting of the main cauldron, and Zhang said his team had come up with “a bold idea for the lighting and the design” of the cauldron.

“This time, the way of lighting will certainly be different,” he said. “It’s a major reform of the opening ceremony. It will be unprecedented in the over 100-year history of the Olympic Games.”

Zhang said “people’s participation” is also important for the opening ceremony. The ceremony will also feature diversity, with some performers coming from schools and grassroots arts groups and representatives from all walks of life taking part.

“What the Winter Olympics show is the Chinese people’s confidence, pride, love and affection for the people of the world — our great philosophy and values,” Zhang said.