Asian Games 2023 Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games was recently held at the Hangzhou Sports Park Stadium in Hangzhou, China. The games were originally supposed to happen in 2022 but were postponed to this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the third time that China has hosted the Asian Games. Beijing was the host in 1990, and Guangzhou in 2010. 

The 19th Asian Games kicked off on September 23, 2023, with a bang. The opening ceremony astonished everyone with its use of impressive digital technology. The opening ceremony was divided into three parts: Timeless Grace, Tidal Bore of the Qiantangjiang River and Together Towards the Future. 

Xi Jinping, the President of China, opened the ceremony and the games. Because the Hangzhou Asian Games is an eco-friendly game, no real fireworks were used during the opening ceremony. Instead, the audience was treated to a grand exhibition of digital fireworks, which were created using Artificial Intelligence!

The Indian contingent comprised 921 members including 655 athletes and 260 coaches and support staff. Hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and boxer Lovlina Borgohain led the Indian contingent parade. 

While athletes Ye Shiwen, Li Lingwei, Wang Shun, Xu Mengtao, Fan Zhendong and Shi Zhiyong were the physical torchbearers of the event. To the surprise of everyone, virtual torch bearers lit up a digital cauldron which was on display. There were three robot mascots called Congcong, Lianlian and Chenchen. Together, they are called the “Memories of Jiangnan”.

Although the ceremony lasted almost two hours, there was not a single moment of boredom for the audience!