Xinhua News Agency reporters Yue Ranran and Wang Anhaowei
On the evening of the 26th, the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics was held in the rain, and the France created a "flowing feast" with their unique romance. Top 10 highlights of this shocking opening ceremony.
Highlight 1: For the first time, the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games has been moved from a stadium to an urban space
This is the first time that the opening ceremony of the modern Olympic Games has been held in an open urban space. About 6,800 athletes from 205 delegations sailed west about 6 kilometers from the Austerlitz Bridge to the west, passing by iconic buildings such as Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the Place de la Concorde to the Trocadero Square on the other side of the Eiffel Tower. Rivers, buildings and bridges form a natural stage, and sports, history and art are perfectly integrated in the Seine.
On July 26, the sports delegations at the opening ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Huang Zongzhi
Highlight 2: About 320,000 spectators watched the opening ceremony
About 320,000 spectators along the river danced to the music while holding high the national flag in the rain, shouting and cheering, and were comfortable in the 12 art scenes with the theme of the opening ceremony. A total of 71 large screens were laid on the site, and people could watch the grand opening ceremony in its entirety through the large screens.
Highlight 3: The mysterious masked torchbearer
Inspired by some of the most well-known masked characters of France culture, the mysterious torchbearer wears a mask and follows the athletes through the procession, or shuttles through the rooftops of various buildings along the coast, or crosses the Seine from the Île Saint-Louis via a zipline, witnesses the dance performances of the workers on the scaffolding of Notre-Dame Cathedral, walks into the Théâtre du Châtelet to watch the rehearsals for the musical Les Misérables, and walks past the masterpieces of the Louvre and into the world of cinema and science fiction......
On July 26, the actor carried the torch at the opening ceremony. Xinhua News Agency (POOL Photo/Peter · Cheborah)
Highlight 4: The Chinese sports delegation made a brilliant appearance
Flag bearers Ma Long and Feng Yu jointly raised the five-star red flag and appeared with the Chinese sports delegation. This is the fourth Olympic Games for 35-year-old veteran table tennis player Ma Long and the second Olympic trip for Feng Yu, the captain of the young synchronized swimming team. In this Olympic Games, the Chinese sports delegation will send a team led by 42 Olympic champions to participate in 30 major events, 42 sub-events and 236 sub-events. This team is elite and full of vitality, and the youngest Zheng Haohao is only 11 years old.
On July 26, Ma Long, the flag bearer of the Chinese sports delegation and a table tennis player, waved the national flag before the opening ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Cao Can
Highlight 5: Singing "La Marseillaise" on the roof
France soprano singers, dressed in dresses in the same color as the France flag, sang the powerful France national anthem, La Marseillaise, on the roof of the Grand Palais in Paris. The "Marseillaise" sounded and the flag of France was raised at the Trocadero Palace. The spotlight shines on the statues of 10 women who made France's history, including writers, athletes, lawyers, philosophers, journalists, botanists, teachers, poets, directors and judges, slowly rising on the Seine, and the performance conveys France's respect for these women in history.
Highlight 6: Four new Olympic events were staged on the Seine
In the middle of the Seine appeared 5 floating stages, which were held in place by 90 ballast and mooring lines weighing between 1 and 5 tons. On these stages, four new sports have been added to the Games: breakdancing, rock climbing, skateboarding and surfing, which are performative, accessible and inclusive. These movements are young and can be seen often in the streets or in nature. In the pouring rain, a breakdancer and opera singer performed not only breakdancing but also excerpts from the opera "The Attentive Indians."
On July 26, an actor performed at the opening ceremony. Xinhua News Agency (POOL Photo/John · McDougall)
Highlight 7: Artwork incarnates the audience
Set on the Seine, from the Goddess of Victory in Samotras, to the Venus de Milo, to the Mona Lisa...... Figures from numerous works of art were unveiled as the athletes passed by, and the delegations were greeted by the Louvre's artworks. Six iconic faces emerge from the water, moving as the ship passes. The performances subtly invert the roles: in this one-of-a-kind mobile "museum" of the Seine, athletes become the center of attention, and works of art become spectators.
On July 26, the Sudanese sports delegation at the opening ceremony. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jiang Wenyao
亮点八：木筏上唱响和平颂歌《Imagine》
On the Seine, a drifting raft, a flaming piano...... "Imagine" sounded at night in Paris. Composed by John · Lennon and Yoko Ono, the song, sung by pianists Sophian · Parmat and singers Juliet · Armante on a drifting raft, seems to be a call to the world for unity and peace.
Highlight 9: Female rider riding a metal horse galloping the Seine
On the Seine, a female knight wearing an Olympic ringed cloak treads water on a metal horse. She crossed the Jena Bridge to the Place de la Trocadero, inviting the world to join in defending the Olympic values of excellence, respect and friendship. As she passed, the lights on the bridge formed the wings of a dove of peace. The flags of the delegations marched between the Place de la Trocadero and the Eiffel Tower, under which a pair of huge wings also appeared, and a female rider and a white horse landed under the tower.
This is the Eiffel Tower taken on July 26. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Ming
Highlight 10: The flame is lit with new ideas
The masked torchbearer handed the torch to France legend Zinedine Zidane, who in turn handed it to tennis player Nadal, who sailed with tennis star Serena Williams, Romania gymnastics legend Comaneci and United States track and field legend Carl · Lewis to the torch tower in the Tuileries Gardens.
On 26 July, a cauldron in the shape of a hot air balloon was lit in the Tuileries Gardens. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Xue Yuge
At the top of the cauldron is a hot air balloon 30 meters high and 22 meters in diameter. 241 years ago, the first hydrogen balloon flight was launched here. After the final few relays, France judo Olympic champion Teddy · and France track and field Olympic champion Marie-José ·Perek walked to the torch tower and lit a ring of flames, which slowly lifted into the air and lit up the city. Celine Dion, a famous singer who struggled with her illness, sang under the Eiffel Tower, and her powerful singing voice resounded throughout the audience. (Participating reporters: Wang Jingyu, Wang Zijiang, Xiao Yazhuo, Ding Wenxian, Huang Yao, Chen Junxia, Wei Hua, He Leijing, Wang Junbao, Xia Liang, Zhao Yan, Li Dian, Hu Jiali)