[Olympics] 'Snow and Ice Battle' Beijing Winter Olympics Opens Today

Opening Ceremony at Beijing National Stadium... Simplified Performances
Korea Enters 73rd... North Korea Suspended
Few Foreign Guests Due to Human Rights Abuses, Concerns Over 'Closed Loop' Collapse

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The 'Grand Festival of Snow and Ice Sports,' the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, officially opens today (the 4th). About 2,900 athletes from ninety-one countries will compete fiercely for 109 gold medals across seven events until the 20th. The opening ceremony will be held at 9 p.m. at the Beijing National Stadium (National Stadium) tonight. This is the venue where the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as athletics and football matches, were held during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. Beijing becomes the first city in history to host both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

The opening ceremony 14 years ago was so grand and magnificent that it was compared to the 'Manhan Jeonseok (滿漢全席),' a banquet menu carefully selected since the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong era. The number of performers reached 15,000. The dazzling stage will not be recreated this time. Due to the spread of COVID-19, the duration was reduced from four hours to 100 minutes, and the number of performers was limited to 4,000.

The simplified performance will be directed by Zhang Yimou, a master of Chinese cinema, following the 2008 Summer Olympics. Under the theme 'Together for a Shared Future,' it aims to highlight the community of shared destiny for mankind. He said, "China encourages participation in winter sports and will express the global enjoyment of the Winter Olympics' ideals and culture."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The final torchbearer and method of lighting the cauldron, with the torch relayed by robots and autonomous vehicles, will be revealed at the event site. In 2008, China's gymnastics hero Li Ning ran along the inside wall of the stadium roof suspended by wires to light the cauldron.

The Korean delegation will enter seventy-third. Short track skaters Kwak Yoon-gi and Kim A-lang will serve as flag bearers, leading twenty-eight officials and eighteen athletes. North Korea, suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for non-participation in last year's Tokyo Summer Olympics, will not send a delegation. Russia, barred from competing under its national flag due to doping sanctions, will enter under the name Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), as in the Tokyo Olympics.

The Chinese Communist Party leadership is determined to ensure a successful event. They view this tournament as a festival held ahead of the Communist Party National Congress, which will confirm President Xi Jinping's long-term rule. However, there are not many foreign dignitaries to brighten the opening ceremony. The United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and Denmark have not sent government delegations, citing human rights abuses in Xinjiang Uyghur and Hong Kong. Several human rights organizations have also pressured sponsors such as Visa, Coca-Cola, and Procter & Gamble (P&G) for the same reasons. According to The Wall Street Journal, most companies are refraining from active marketing.

The United Kingdom and the Netherlands provided temporary phones to their athletes, fearing possible hacking attempts by Chinese authorities. China denied such possibilities but warned that participants who raise human rights issues in China during the event could face penalties such as AD card cancellation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In fact, the biggest headache is the Omicron variant. China implemented a 'zero COVID' policy, including three weeks of facility quarantine for arrivals and lockdowns in areas with confirmed cases, but failed to block Omicron. The organizing committee canceled ticket sales plans but will allow spectators at 30-50% of stadium capacity. Viewing opportunities will be given to government officials, sponsor company representatives, and university students based in Beijing. Spectators must maintain a certain distance and cheer the athletes with applause only. Some fear that the 'closed loop' separating the general public and Olympic participants could collapse. They warn that trying to fill half the seats could result in the stigma of a failed quarantine.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.