Beijing Winter Olympics

 With less than a month to go before the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, rehearsals for the opening and closing ceremonies are being carried out under the watchful eye of chief director Zhang Yimou, who also directed the opening ceremony of the  Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. Zhang told media this time the ceremonies will go with a modern art style that focuses on simplicity. 

Zhang said he considers the Beijing 2008's opening ceremony as a classic event that cannot be repeated, so the Beijing 2022 version will try to stand apart by heading in a different direction. 

In contrast to the four-hour-long ceremony and 15,000 performers used in the 2008 ceremony, Zhang told the Xinhua News Agency that the opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics will rely on high technology instead of using the previous "huge-crowd" strategy and will only last less than 100 minutes and feature about 3,000 actors.

"In 2008, it was the first time that we had a platform and opportunity to show China to the world, so we used large-scale artistic performances to show China's 5,000-year civilization, starting with 29 big footprints to show our history, tradition and the path we have experienced," he said.

"While this time, it's going to be more based on the future and common humanity because it's not going to be about 'I' anymore, but what are we doing together and what we can do together."

From "I" to "We," from "China" to "the World," the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics aims to express concerns about humanity's shared future and convey the common feelings and faith of humankind.

Igniting the Olympic Cauldron is expected to be the highlight of the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics, Xinhua reported.

Li Ning's flying run to ignite the Olympic Cauldron in 2008 became a classic picture in the history of the Olympic Games, while in 2022 the method to ignite the cauldron will feature bold design and innovation, Zhang said. 

"It has not appeared in the more than 100-year history of the [modern] Olympic Games."

The design is to reflect the concept of low-carbon environmental protection. Zhang said he worried whether it would be allowed, but the idea was supported by the Organizing Committee of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and International Olympic Committee. 

The opening ceremony will be held on February 4, the day of Beginning of Spring in Chinese calendar, so the coming of spring will also be another important element of the gala. 

"I have been longing to watch this great performance," many netizens posted on Sina Weibo.