The number 8 represents prosperity and confidence in the Chinese culture. On the 8th day of the 8th month in 2008, China blew away the rest of the World, 8 seconds after 8:08pm local time.
In the National Stadium, nicknamed the Bird’s Nest, the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics was dubbed by many as the best ever, the most spectacular by far and a performance that future hosts will struggle to equal. In less than four years time, London will attempt to open the 2012 Summer games with a percentage of Beijing’s success, although they are not expected to compete with that outstanding and almost unbelievable presentation.
The Chinese boast a quarter of the World’s population; making every other country look like a city and London barely a town. However, this will be a record third time the Olympics has taken place in the UK capital. Team Great Britain managed to finish fourth in the medal table of Beijing 2008, beaten only by Russia, the United States and China themselves. This shows Britain’s sporting ability to compete with the heavyweights, despite being significantly out of proportion in terms of residence.
Prosperity and confidence is something that was echoed in the closing ceremony which also started at 8:00pm, directed by Chinese film maker Zhang Yimou, who happened to co-direct the opening ceremony. The closing began with an audacious firework display as sparks filled the sky over the National Stadium.
Joining the Olympic flag, the Greek flag was then lifted as a symbol of the past; the first Olympic Games were held in Olympia 776 BC. Like the opening ceremony, athletes of all nationalities gathered in the Bird’s Nest having taken part in the games. The Chinese national flag was then raised along to the host’s anthem, which was sounded through the nest-like stadium, once again at full capacity.
The next national flag to grace the sky was the Union Jack, as the Olympic Games looks to London and the future. Philip Sheppard performed his own version of ‘God Save the Queen’ as 2012 Olympics made its first appearance in the ceremony.
The mayor of Beijing, Guo Jinlong then returned the Olympic flag to Jacques Rogge, the Olympic chief and head of the International Olympic Committee. In turn, he passes on the flag to Boris Johnson, the mayor of London. The flag, which represents the responsibility of the Olympic Games, is now in the possession of London, with the attention now firmly on 2012.
Just as London’s eight minutes presentation of the 2012 London Olympics begins, a double-decker bus with blacked out windows appears right on the dot. The perfectly timed gleaming red bus, showing ‘2012’ as its next destination, is then approached with a swarm of multi-racial dancers, greeting the public transport and its efficiency.
The red double-decker bus is a globally recognised symbol of London’s public transport, a form of transport that in recent years the United Kingdom appears to have lost faith in. However, this seems to have been recognised by Boris Johnson, with the bus arriving precisely on time to London’s presentation; London promises a more efficient service by and after 2012. The multi-racial dancers represent the British public, with London expecting them to respond positively and welcome the public transport by using it to its capacity.
The British modern cultural performance continued with a second highlight; Leona Lewis sang ‘Whole Lotta Love’, backed by Jimmy Page. After winning The X Factor in 2006, Leona Lewis has gone on to top both the singles and album charts in the United Kingdom and the United States. Leona Lewis was used as a symbol in London’s presentation, few may have recognised her in the Bird’s Nest Beijing, but having been propelled to a national scale; she will be a global star in four years time when her home country hosts the Olympic Games.
International icon David Beckham was the next star to appear in the stadium, kicking a ceremonial football into the crowds of people looking up to him. A young man, who appeared to be part of Beijing’s closing ceremony, was the first to the ball, chasing through rows of people, eventually collecting it with a satisfied grin.
David appeared at the closing ceremony not only to do what he does best, kick a ball, but on behalf of London as an ambassador for the 2012 Games. Unlike Leona, Beckham is recognised all round the world and with London now preparing for the Olympics in four years time, there is no doubt this won’t be his final appearance.
With the official transfer of the Olympic Games coming to an end, there was just time for Asian phenomenon Jackie Chan to show that martial arts are his talent, by singing in front of a polite Bird’s Nest crowd. The Olympic flame was then extinguished after lasting the 16 day competition. The ceremony was concluded at 9:55 local time, lasting just under two hours, with Beijing now officially passing on the baton to London, all eyes are on 2012 and the UK capital.
Tags: 2008, 2012, Beijing, China, David Beckham, Leona Lewis, London, Olympics, Sport, United Kingdom
