2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony

The 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony was conducted at the Beijing National Stadium, also called as the Bird's Nest. It started at 8:00 pm China Standard Time (UTC+8) on 8 of August 2008. The number 8 is linked with prosperity and self-confidence in Chinese culture. Organisers claim that the stadium was filled to its 91,000 capacity. The ceremony was co-directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and Chinese choreographer Zhang Jigang. It was renowned for its focus on ancient Chinese culture, and for its creativity. The musical score for the ceremony was set by composer Tan Dun. The final climb to the torch featured Olympic gymnast Li Ning, who appear to run through air around the top ring of the stadium. Featuring more than 15,000 performers, the ceremony lasted over four hours and was reported to have cost over $300 million to produce. The opening ceremony was lauded by audience and a variety of international presses as impressive and spellbinding.