The 15th National Games is approaching the important milestone of a 100-day countdown. On July 28, at a media interview event held in Guangzhou, Meng Ke, the executive director of the Games' opening ceremony, gave an early "spoiler" about some small surprises for the opening ceremony.
"We have assembled a team of experts and creative professionals from the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao to ensure the opening ceremony not only has an international perspective but is also rooted in Lingnan culture, reflecting the characteristics of the Greater Bay Area (GBA)."
Meng mentioned that they will bring the "ocean" into the stadium. The entire opening ceremony is expected to last 90 minutes, and the theme song's lyrics and demo are currently in production. The song will incorporate diverse musical elements such as Cantonese opera, Hong Kong pop music, and folk songs, which he believes will offer a fresh experience for the audience.
Regarding the progress of the opening ceremony preparations, Meng said: "Core tasks such as stage construction, lighting and sound system installation, and rigging setup for the two opening ceremonies are being intensively carried out. The protective covering for the venues has been mostly completed, and the overall progress of the stage design structure has reached 50%."
According to Meng, in terms of technological innovation, the opening ceremony will utilize cutting-edge technologies like AI and robotics while optimizing the TV broadcast effects to ensure that audiences, even if not present, can experience stunning visuals through their screens. He noted that on-site rehearsals are already in full swing. Meng said that since July, off-site rehearsals have begun, and in August, they will move to the Guangdong Olympic Stadium and Tianhe Sports Center for on-site rehearsals. Music, costumes, and stage design are all progressing as planned. "The internal joint rehearsals for the opening ceremony will likely take place in late September or early October."
Will Hong Kong stars participate?
A Wen Wei Po reporter learned that 4,000 to 5,000 performers and staff from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao have already begun rehearsals. To ensure rehearsal quality without overburdening the participants, the opening ceremony rehearsals are scheduled in "time-segmented" sessions. For music composition, the opening ceremony has specially invited renowned musician Shu Nan to serve as the music director.
So far, the team has held dozens of thematic meetings and made repeated adjustments and optimizations, completing most of the cultural and sports performance music and some ceremonial music designs. As for whether Hong Kong celebrities will participate in the opening ceremony, Meng smiled and said it would remain a suspense for now.
'High-tech' costumes showcase the energy of the games
One of the highlights of the opening ceremony will be the torch-lighting method and the athletes' entrance. While the former cannot be disclosed yet, Meng gave a sneak peek into the athletes' entrance, revealing that the segment will heavily feature Chinese elements, fully showcasing the National Games' identity as a national sporting event. Meng said: "In the grand finale of the opening ceremony's cultural and sports performance, what we will present is not only the prosperous landscape of the GBA but also the spirited and striving state of the entire nation."
Regarding costume design, Meng explained that multiple versions of costume designs have been completed, with repeated refinements in color matching, material selection, and pattern details. Most costumes are now in the sampling stage. He added that the opening ceremony team will leverage the technological strengths of the GBA, incorporating advanced technologies such as luminescent materials into traditional textile craftsmanship. Through digital control systems, the costumes will become more dynamic, better showcasing the energy of the athletes and performers.
High construction difficulty
The National Games opening ceremony will be held on November 9 at the Guangdong Olympic Stadium, while the National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the National Special Olympic Games opening ceremony will take place on December 8 at the Tianhe Sports Center in Guangzhou. The hardware facilities of the opening ceremony venues are also being continuously upgraded.
"Building stages in existing venues like the Guangdong Olympic Stadium and Tianhe Sports Center indeed pose many challenges," Meng admitted. The first issue is space utilization—ensuring audience sightlines while constructing a composite stage structure that includes rigging systems places extremely high demands on load-bearing capacity and structural stability. To achieve synergy among various systems, repeated testing is required for the stage, lighting, sound, special effects, rigging, and video systems within the limited space.
Additionally, Guangzhou's summer heat, frequent rain, and typhoon weather also impact the construction of the opening ceremony stage. One staff member explained, "Sometimes, structures that have just been built require emergency reinforcement due to heavy rain, and when typhoon warnings are issued, all personnel must respond urgently."
To ensure the smooth running of the opening ceremony, Guangzhou has implemented various new technologies in the stadium. Among them, the simulation and application of lightning strike disaster prevention features at the opening ceremony venues, based on lightning strike simulation technology, have effectively enhanced the overall lightning protection measures. Furthermore, structural performance upgrades have been carried out for the steel-structured venues. Currently, the "moderate and precise" reinforcement technology for I-beams has been successfully applied to the renovation of the National Games opening ceremony venues.
(Source: Wen Wei Po; Journalist: Lu Jingyi, Li Ziyan; English Editor: Darius)
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