The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX
Olympiad (BOCOG) urged its staff to take to heart the ideals of the
masses to present the high-level Opening and Closing Ceremonies for
the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
The preparatory work for the schemes of the ceremonies should
present a combination of the ideals of both the experts and of the
majority of the masses, BOCOG president Liu Qi said on
Saturday.
He asked BOCOG staff to invite the most outstanding talents to
create the schemes for the ceremonies and participate in their
presentations; form a group of the representatives of the masses
and allow them to participate in the creation of the schemes in
various forms at different design stages; open a special channel on
the official website of the Beijing Olympic Games as a bridge
between the organizers and the masses; mobilize the grass root
cultural and artistic organizations to take part directly in the
preparation for the ceremonies; involve nationwide art academies or
troupes in recommending outstanding programs to enrich the contents
of the ceremonies and the Olympic festivals.
He made the remarks at a BOCOG forum with the representatives of
the masses from various industries and social sectors, in which
many worthy opinions were offered, regarding the ceremonies' theme,
contents, forms and styles.
After seeking the opinions of many teachers and students, Peking
University student Lu Fan said the Olympics' Opening Ceremony
should integrate the Chinese characteristics of both ancient and
modern times and deliver a beautiful, interested and meaningful
presentation.
Taxi driver Yu Kai obtained suggestions from over 200 passengers
during a week's time. He said a foreigner expressed his hopes that
the Opening Ceremony should help more people across the world to
know about China, while an old Beijing guy hoped to see folk arts
such as the kites and diabolos in the Opening Ceremony program.
"The big changes that have taken place in China should be
reflected in the first ever Olympic Opening Ceremony in my
hometown," said Na Heli, a Beijing citizen.
The Opening Ceremony should stress visual effects and introduce
fashionable international elements into the traditional Chinese
culture," said Peking University Prof. Zhang Yiwu.
Zhu Donghua, doctorial supervisor of Beijing Institute of
Technology suggested that a scientific evaluation system be
established to ensure the quality of the Opening Ceremony as the
program is a combination of science and arts.
"The Opening Ceremony needs a universal language to convey the
traditional Chinese sport culture and illustrate how China
understands the Olympic Spirit and the diverse cultures of the
world, which will result in the interaction between the main
stadium and the spectators," said Beijing Sport University Prof.
Sun Baoli.
(BOCOG April 18, 2007)