The Opening Ceremony: How it works
The Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIX Olympiad will be held Aug. 8 at the National Stadium in Beijing. The ceremony will consist of pageantry, a parade of nations and protocol. The Opening Ceremony will take place on 8/8/08 at 8 p.m. (The number 8 is a symbol of prosperity in Chinese culture.)
Traditionally, details of the Opening Ceremony are kept as secret as possible to allow for surprise and anticipation from the audience. However, there are protocols that are commonly followed at every Opening Ceremony, regardless of the specifics of the program.
The ceremony officially will begin when Chinese President Hu Jintao is received at the entrance of the stadium by the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, and by Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Olympic Committee (BOCOG).
The parade of nations will follow.
The marching members of the participating nations will be seated in the Olympic Stadium until the parade begins. They will march into the stadium in alphabetical order according to the language practiced in the host city; in this case, it will be Mandarin. The Greek delegation marches first and the host city marches last. Each contingent, dressed in its official uniform, will be preceded by a shield bearing the country's name and will be accompanied by its national flag.
After completing its march, each delegation proceeds to reserved seats to watch the ceremony, with the exception of flag bearers, who remain on the field.
Rogge, accompanied by Liu, proceeds to the rostrum in front of the official stand. Liu will then speak for a maximum of three minutes, closing with these words: "I have the honor of inviting Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, to speak."
Rogge will then make a welcoming speech. He will conclude it by saying, "I have the honor of inviting President Hu to proclaim open the Games of the XXIX Olympiad of the modern era."
Hu will respond with these 15 words: "I declare open the Games of Beijing, celebrating the XXIX Olympiad of the modern era."
To the strains of the Olympic hymn, the Olympic flag will be brought into the stadium and raised.
The Olympic torch will be brought into the stadium by a runner or runners relaying it around the track before it is taken to the cauldron, where the Olympic flame will be lit. The flame will burn throughout the Games.
Beginning with the 1920 Games, a release of pigeons or doves preceded the lighting of the flame. In 1993, the IOC adjusted the format to release the birds after the lighting, partly in response to what happened in Seoul, when many of the birds settled on the cauldron and were charred to death. Beginning at the Sydney Games, the lighting of the Olympic flame was followed by a symbolic release of pigeons.
The flag bearers of each country will advance and form a semicircle around the rostrum. A Chinese athlete will then mount the rostrum, take a corner of an Olympic flag in his left hand, raise his right hand and on behalf of all athletes, take the Olympic oath.
Immediately after, a judge from China will mount the rostrum and take a separate oath.
The Chinese national anthem, "March of the Volunteers," will then be played as the flag bearers return to reserved seats to watch the remainder of the Opening Ceremony.
By Andrew Kruse, NBCOlympics.com
Traditionally, details of the Opening Ceremony are kept as secret as possible to allow for surprise and anticipation from the audience. However, there are protocols that are commonly followed at every Opening Ceremony, regardless of the specifics of the program.
The ceremony officially will begin when Chinese President Hu Jintao is received at the entrance of the stadium by the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Jacques Rogge, and by Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Olympic Committee (BOCOG).
The parade of nations will follow.
The marching members of the participating nations will be seated in the Olympic Stadium until the parade begins. They will march into the stadium in alphabetical order according to the language practiced in the host city; in this case, it will be Mandarin. The Greek delegation marches first and the host city marches last. Each contingent, dressed in its official uniform, will be preceded by a shield bearing the country's name and will be accompanied by its national flag.
After completing its march, each delegation proceeds to reserved seats to watch the ceremony, with the exception of flag bearers, who remain on the field.
Rogge, accompanied by Liu, proceeds to the rostrum in front of the official stand. Liu will then speak for a maximum of three minutes, closing with these words: "I have the honor of inviting Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, to speak."
Rogge will then make a welcoming speech. He will conclude it by saying, "I have the honor of inviting President Hu to proclaim open the Games of the XXIX Olympiad of the modern era."
Hu will respond with these 15 words: "I declare open the Games of Beijing, celebrating the XXIX Olympiad of the modern era."
To the strains of the Olympic hymn, the Olympic flag will be brought into the stadium and raised.
The Olympic torch will be brought into the stadium by a runner or runners relaying it around the track before it is taken to the cauldron, where the Olympic flame will be lit. The flame will burn throughout the Games.
Beginning with the 1920 Games, a release of pigeons or doves preceded the lighting of the flame. In 1993, the IOC adjusted the format to release the birds after the lighting, partly in response to what happened in Seoul, when many of the birds settled on the cauldron and were charred to death. Beginning at the Sydney Games, the lighting of the Olympic flame was followed by a symbolic release of pigeons.
The flag bearers of each country will advance and form a semicircle around the rostrum. A Chinese athlete will then mount the rostrum, take a corner of an Olympic flag in his left hand, raise his right hand and on behalf of all athletes, take the Olympic oath.
Immediately after, a judge from China will mount the rostrum and take a separate oath.
The Chinese national anthem, "March of the Volunteers," will then be played as the flag bearers return to reserved seats to watch the remainder of the Opening Ceremony.
By Andrew Kruse, NBCOlympics.com
posted by Zo Heri at 6:53 PM
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