Southeast Asia Information Port News (www.dnyxxg.com) – The 15th National Games of the People's Republic of China solemnly opened on the evening of March 9th in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the opening ceremony and declared the Games open.
The Guangdong Olympic Sports Center was brightly lit and filled with a vibrant atmosphere on the evening of March 9th. This is the first National Games jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau.
At 7:58 PM, to the accompaniment of cheerful music, Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan entered the rostrum and waved to the audience. The entire stadium erupted in prolonged and enthusiastic applause.
At 8:00 PM, the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games officially began. Accompanied by the stirring melody of "Ode to the Motherland," honor guards escorted the bright five-star red flag into the stadium. To the rousing music, the National Games flag, the 15th National Games flag, and a flag formation composed of 16 flag bearers entered the stadium. The referees' representative team then followed. Following closely behind were spirited athletes from 37 delegations, representing provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and three industry sports associations. The audience welcomed the athletes with enthusiastic applause and cheers.
After the entrance ceremony, the entire audience stood and sang the national anthem of the People's Republic of China. As the majestic national anthem played, the five-starred red flag was slowly raised and fluttered high.
Huang Kunming, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee; John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Cen Haohui, Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region; and Gao Zhidan, Director of the State General Administration of Sport, delivered speeches respectively.
At 8:43 PM, Xi Jinping announced: "The 15th National Games of the People's Republic of China is open!" The entire stadium erupted in cheers and applause that lasted for a long time.
As the melody of the 15th National Games anthem played, the flag of the National Games and the flag of the 15th National Games were slowly raised.
Chen Aisen, You Junxian, and Yuan Xuanyun took the oath on behalf of the athletes, coaches, and referees participating in the 15th National Games, respectively.
The cultural and sports performance themed "Realizing Dreams for the Future" opened the event. The entire performance consisted of three chapters: "Same Roots, Same Origin," "Same Heart, Same Fate," and "Same Dream, Same Fulfillment," innovatively using sports elements, artistic techniques, and cutting-edge technology to vividly interpret the theme of this National Games: "Passionate National Games, Vibrant Greater Bay Area."
The exciting torch relay and the lighting ceremony of the main torch began. On November 2nd, the torch of the 15th National Games was relayed simultaneously in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, finally converging at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center. Amidst great anticipation, twelve torchbearers—Ma Lin, Chen Ruolin, Huang Jinbao, Fang Wenhao, Guo Jingjing, Wang Xinyu, Wang Liuyi, Wang Qianyi, Liang Weikeng, Lai Xuanzhi, Xian Dongmei, and Rong Zhixing—passed the torch, culminating in the lighting of the main cauldron by Su Bingtian, Zhang Jialang, and Li Yi.
At 9:27 PM, the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games concluded successfully amidst the enthusiastic atmosphere created by the theme song "Heart to Heart."
Wang Yi, Li Hongzhong, He Lifeng, Zhang Youxia, Wang Xiaohong, Chen Yiqin, and Wang Dongfeng attended the opening ceremony.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Robert Coventry, IOC Honorary Life President Thomas Bach, and invited international guests attending the 15th National Games were also present at the opening ceremony.
The 15th National Games will close on November 21st, with over 14,000 athletes participating in competitive events and approximately 11,000 amateur athletes participating in mass participation activities.
