Olympic Games: Rehearsal of the Bird’s Nest
July 17, 2008

A pretaste from the distance of what the world will see at the Olympic ceremonies. Photo By: Courtesy of China Daily

21 Days to Go Table Tennis Schedule in Detail: Refer to pages 19 to 22 in the Olympic Explanatory Book Courtesy of ITTF The first outward appearance rehearsal of the National Stadium (also known as Bird’s Nest) for the 2008 Olympics was held on the evening of July 16th. The illuminating system for the night scenery and the fireworks were fully tested, with all lights on. The fifteen minutes light show consists of five parts, namely: breathing, heartbeat, rotating, running and rising; each stands for a physiological status in sports.

Red fireworks illuminates Beijing's night.
Photo by Courtesy of China Daily

This colorful “Nest” contrasted well with the fireworks and the “blue” water cube nearby.

Vowed to Keep the Secrets
Inside the “Nest”, a second full dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony was held in secret. To avoid content leaks for the three and half hour program, the National Stadium was under strict guard by the police, who assembled three layers of cordon fences around the stadium, just like at first full dress rehearsal on 11th July.

All the workers within on duty have signed agreements with the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOCOG) to keep matters silent.

Hoping for Good Weather
One of the deputy directors of the opening ceremony, Wang Chaoge disclosed that the elements of "Sichuan" and "Wenchuan" will be embodied in the opening ceremony in tribute to the Chinese spirit manifested after the devastating 12th May earthquake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province. He said the biggest problem for the organizers of the ceremonies was the weather.

“It is beyond human control after all”, he said, “August in Beijing often meets with broken weather and rain may hamper the progress of this ceremony.”

Night Shift for the Crew
Zhang Yimou, the famous movie director as well as the director-in-chief of the ceremony, said at the one month countdown on Tuesday that all the crew worked at night to better adjust themselves to the evening performance. They took an oath on the countdown to struggle hard for a successful event.

The team has made a three year preparation for this moment, which is expected by Chinese to showcase the essence of China's rich culture, concept and vision to the world.

According to the staff on duty, there will be three more opening ceremony rehearsals.

 

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