In Brazil, Rio de Janeiro said farewell to the Paralympics in fine fashion on Sunday with a colorful closing ceremony befitting the vibrant atmosphere of the host city. The country's love for music was on full display through a variety of performances that celebrated the success of the second most attended Games in the event's history.

Photo taken on Sept. 18, 2016 shows the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games held in Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. [Xinhua]

The famous Maracana stadium is packed and the Paralympians seated across the field as the proceedings kick off with fireworks. Among the first performers is Jonathan Bastos, a Brazilian who was born without arms but has became an accomplished musician, playing instruments with his feet. After a minute of silence for Iranian cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad, who died Saturday in a crash during the road race, flagbearers from the participating countries would enter the stadium before the music resumes. The Paralympic flag is replaced by Japan's national flag as Japanese performers make full use of their limited time to showcase the culture of the country that will host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics. Speeches from Rio organizing committee president Carlos Nuzman and IPC head Philip Craven signal a new era to in four years. The Olympic flame then descends into the Rio night to await relighting for the Tokyo Games.

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