Unique opening ceremony promised for Asian Games

Published : 9:20 am November 12, 2010 | No comments so far |

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China has promised a traditional, water-themed opening ceremony for the Asian Games in the southern city of Guangzhou to kick start the country’s biggest sports event since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Organisers, however, are keeping the identity of the final torch bearer a closely guarded secret, along with the method of lighting the Asian Games cauldron on Friday evening.

“It will definitely bring us an unexpected surprise,” said
He Jiqing, deputy director of opening and closing ceremonies for the Games.

“The lighting of the fire will be full of Chinese characteristics. Chinese people will love it and this is something they are familiar with,” he told reporters.

While the grand splendour of the opening of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 will be hard to match, the Asian Games ceremony will draw on traditional southern Chinese culture and feature a strong watery theme given its setting on tiny Haixinsha island on the Pearl River which runs through the heart of Guangzhou.

GUANGZHOU, CHINA, Nov 11 (Reuters)