Welcome to the Games!

The 16th Asian Games officially started on last Friday! As the world's second largest Games after the Olympic, the opening ceremony, this time in Guangzhou, was as awwesome as the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic. With the artistic performances from all the actors, spectacular fireworks display, wonderful singing performances from David Tao, Zhang Ziyi, Kim Hyun Jung, Joey Yung, Mao Amin, Song Zuying, Wei Wei, 谭晶, and Sun Nan, great piece of work from pianist Lang Lang and the spectacular cauldron lighting, it was no doubt one of the great piece of opening ceremonies that I've seen.

The best part of all was the cauldron lighting by the Chinese world champion diver, He Chong with 2 kids. It was a very Chinese way to light the cauldron, where the last torchbearer, He Chong and the kids lighted a giant firecracker which then lighted the main cauldron. The whole opening ceremony was very colourful too, when there were about 2 major fireworks display, which surrounded the venue. The artistic performances were not bad either, especially the four dimensional performance, where the actors were hanging on air and move according to the sail-shaped screens. And there were a few performances related to the theme of the Games, "Water". Then, there's the parade of the athletes. As the host country, no doubt China has the biggest formation of athletes, which I believed there were still some athletes who were not there.

Oh, one last wonderful+memorable scene for me in this opening ceremony was that my favourite badminton player, Fu Haifeng was chosen to take the athlete's oath on behave of all the athletes in this Games. I was so surprised to hear his name and saw him walking to the stage. He then hold the Games' official flag and started to read out the oath. I was so happy and was too excited to see this whole scene, until I... I think I forgot to close my mouth as I was so surprised to see him! =)

Firework on 8.06 pm, the welcoming ceremony.

The whole venue filled with the firework.

Inside the venue, Haixinsha Island.

The final torchbearer, He Chong.

Lighting the firecracker...

...and the firecracker was risen by the elevator.

The cauldron was on fire by the flame from the firecracker.

The fire will continue to light until the final day of the Games.

Fu Haifeng had the honor to take the athlete's oath.