The 14th China National Games kick off on Wednesday evening at the Xi’an Olympic Sports Center. Photo: Cui Meng / GT
Unlike the Tokyo Summer Olympics, delayed by COVID, which held an inauguration in an almost empty stadium in July, China’s “mini-Olympic Games” officially began the 14th China National Games with a gala performance and a colorful light show animated by spectators on Wednesday evening, a packed stadium in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, northwest China.
Many athletes and journalists who participated in the 2020 Tokyo Games almost two months ago said that when they arrived in the villages of the National Games, their impression is that Xi’an is much better than Tokyo in terms of facilities, a feeling that it was broadcast until the opening ceremony.
At eight o’clock in the evening, the four mascots of the Games entered the stadium to welcome visitors from all parts of the country. The Chinese national flag and the flag of the National Games were carried to the venue, followed by athletes who were greeted with applause.
In addition to the Shaanxi host delegation, the Hong Kong and Macao delegations also received great joy from the public. Hong Kong and Macao, along with Guangdong Province, will co-host the 2025 edition of the National Games.
Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the country’s main multi-sport event open at the Xi’an Olympic Sports Center on Wednesday evening. It is the first time the four-year event has been held in western China since it began in 1959. This time, more than 12,000 athletes will participate in 595 events in 54 sports.
The event is an important promise of “victory in the fight against the epidemic and the success of the Beijing Winter Olympics,” said Liu Guozhong, secretary of the Shaanxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CCP). ), at the opening ceremony. “Chinese sports have witnessed the great leap of the Chinese nation to stand up, get rich and become strong,” he said.
After tens of thousands of volunteers finished their artistic performance, the opening ceremony reached its climax, as China’s first gold medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, shooter Yang Qian lit the cauldron. The torch was passed to Yang in a relay by top sprinter Su Bingtian, gold medal swimmer Zhang Yufei, Olympic diving winner Qin Kai, gold winner of Olympic air pistol Guo Wenjun and Ma Long, captain of the Chinese table tennis team -Olympic gold medal.
Prior to reaching the 60,000-seat Xi’an Olympic Center Stadium, the torch had traveled for 28 days and 14 stops across the province carried by 1,000 torchbearers.
Photo: Cui Meng / GT
Compared to the boycotts that took place outside Tokyo Stadium, residents feared the Games would cause a worsening of the epidemic.
The host city rich in history does not hide its high goal: this strategy of zero infection for public health and allow viewers to coexist well. The event is considered an important event for next year’s Beijing Winter Olympics.
Photo: Cui Meng / GT
Cultural extravagance
Due to ecological concerns, there was no fireworks show, instead, the sky lit up with a spectacular light show, with tens of thousands of people singing to their heart’s content.
The one-hour cultural extravaganza included more than 11,000 volunteer college students, who practiced for eight months with three full rehearsals.
The first segment of the show emphasized cultural trust, with 2,021 young student drummers brandishing their drumsticks. He was followed by artistic performances with different dynasties. The Tang Dynasty dance performances took the audience to one of the most prosperous periods in Chinese history. Xi’an was also the capital of the Tang Dynasty.
Xi’an was the capital of 13 dynasties and kingdoms. As a starting point for the ancient Silk Road, Xi’an was the center of trade between East and West, and today it is still a crucial stop for the Belt and Road Initiative.
The second chapter saw a red ship set sail for the stadium, crossing the darkness, followed by red ribbons, symbolizing that 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CCP. In addition to lovingly winning peace, actors in old war uniforms reminded people that Yan’an in Shaanxi Province is the cradle of the Red Revolution.
In 1941, during the CCP’s Yan’an period, the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong wrote an inscription for the Liberation Daily’s special sports issue: “Develop sports and improve people’s physique.”
On August 8, China’s National Fitness Day, the State Council released a new five-year plan aimed at perfecting the public fitness system, with the goal of 38.5% of the population participating regularly. in physical exercise.
Observers said China has demonstrated its ambition to build a leading sports nation in many ways and has made progress in building its sports infrastructure and growing its sports population. And building a strong sports nation will help China improve the quality of its population, which is another criterion for becoming a world power.
In the third chapter of the performance that embodies the theme “Chinese Dream,” a group of dancers portrayed one of the creatures that lives in Shaanxi’s Qinling Mountains: the crested ibis. Wearing pink and white dresses, the elegant performers flew through the air while recreating the beautiful landscapes of the crested ibis.
Forty years ago, the bird was thought to be extinct, but seven were discovered in Yangxian County, Shaanxi Province. Today, due to careful conservation, there are more than 7,000 crested ibis. This program is a miniature of China’s achievements in building ecological civilizations.
Later, a dynamic dance performance showcased Shaanxi-related scientific and technological achievements, including the BeiDou satellite positioning system and the space sector, with Chang’e lunar exploration missions.
At the end of the show, doctors, nurses, police officers and workers, people representing all walks of life, gathered around a huge Chinese national flag in the middle of the field.
Photo: IC
Mask off, mask on
More than 46,000 people who attended the opening ceremony wore masks during Wednesday’s event, including athletes, performers, the public, technicians, security guards, other staff members and officers.
But the Global Times reporter has learned that organizers had previously considered not wearing masks at the opening ceremony, but gave up the plan because the ongoing outbreak in Fujian has sounded the alarm and has only kept the infection zero until closing of the event, then really realizes its multiple goals, such as testing China’s prevention and control strategies and accumulating experience for the Beijing Winter Olympics in three and a half months.
A current localized outbreak in East China’s Fujian province still sees cases growing, although it currently has a “limited impact,” Beijing reported five suspicious cases on Wednesday.
According to the principle of “zero dynamic infection”, the flexible, timely but also prudent measures of the organizers show China’s ability and confidence in controlling the epidemic at major sporting events, analysts said.
The Xi’an Health Commission said that as of August 4, more than 13.6 million Xi’an residents had been tested for COVID-19, with all tests negative. As of September 2, Xi’an had administered more than 22.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, with a second-dose coverage rate reaching 94.14% in eligible populations.
Aside from the closed-loop management of journalists and athletes, a volunteer student named Chen told the Global Times that there are strict procedures.
“We signed up in October last year … The unified management and training at Xi’an Hotel, which we registered on August 31 this year, follows the principle of closed loop and transportation from place to place, ”Chen said. .
Given the low commercial and ticket returns from previous National Games, Global Times learned that the organizing committee distributed tickets for the opening gala as it is in the special period of epidemic. Among the spectators were students, sponsors and government employees.
“Before the opening ceremony, I had to quarantine for 14 days at a designated hotel, I did a nucleic acid test every three days and I had to submit a negative nucleic acid test within the previous 48 hours. at the opening, ”a viewer told Global Time.
“This is not only for my own safety, but also for everyone’s safety and health,” the viewer said.
At a time when the world is still overshadowed by the pandemic, China is able to celebrate its major national games with tens of thousands of participants and spectators certainly send a positive signal to the nation and the world, Zhao Jisheng, professor with the College of Physical Education and Sports of Beijing Normal University, he told the Global Times.
The event showcases the proven world mechanisms and achievements of China in preventing epidemics, increases the confidence of the Chinese people and constitutes a warm-up for the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, Zhao said.
A source related to the Olympics who requested anonymity told the Global Times that it basically confirms the essence of preventing the epidemic for the Beijing Winter Olympics and that it will be stricter than in Xi’an, as if there were an outbreak caused by foreigners, will be unbearable for Chinese capital, larger and densely populated than Xi’an.
During the Beijing Winter Olympics, it is estimated that the number of foreign arrivals will be less than 30,000, media reported.
The management of the closed circuit that began in Tokyo, after Xi’an, will continue in Beijing, the source said. He explained that through the direction of “the airport-Olympic Village”, foreign athletes will enter the bubble without contact with the outside world. And his departure will follow the same principle. If they intend to stay in China, they will follow the regulations of Chinese athletes with a 21-day quarantine and a negative nucleic acid test result before leaving the bubble.
Things to know about the 14th National Games of China. Graphic: Deng Zijun / GT