体育馆

　　国家体育场NationalStadium

　　国家游泳中心NationalAquaticsCenter

　　国家体育馆NationalIndoorStadium

　　北京射击馆BeijingShootingRangeHall

　　北京奥林匹克篮球馆BeijingOlympicBasketballGymnasium

　　老山自行车馆LaoshanVelodrome

　　顺义奥林匹克水上公园ShunyiOlympicRowing-CanoeingPark

　　中国农业大学体育馆ChinaAgriculturalUniversityGymnasium

　　北京大学体育馆PekingUniversityGymnasium

　　北京科技大学体育馆BeijingScienceandTechnologyUniversityGymnasium

　　北京工业大学体育馆BeijingUniversityofTechnologyGymnasium

　　北京奥林匹克公园网球场BeijingOlympicGreenTennisCourt

　　Beijingwelcomesworldto2008OlympicGames

　　AgeneralviewisseenwhileSarahBrightmanandLiuHuansingontopofalargeglobeduringtheOpeningCeremonyfortheBeijing2008OlympicGamesattheNationalStadiumonAugust8,2008inBeijing,China.(Photocredit:MikeHewitt/GettyImages)

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　　(BEIJING,8August)--ChinawelcomedtheworldtotheBeijing2008OlympicGamesonFridaywiththerollofthunderfromtwothousandfoudrumsandabatteringoffireworksacrosstheChinesecapital--fromtheForbiddenCityandTiananmenSquaretotheNationalStadium.

　　Fourteenthousandperformersofferedthe91,000peopleintheNationalStadium,popularlyknownasthe'Bird'sNest,'ahistorylessoninChina'scontributiontoworldcivilization.Thespectatorsthatpackedthestadiumheldthefirstofsomesevenmillionticketstothe2008BeijingGames,inwhichnearly11,000athleteswilljump,run,cycle,fight,swim,sail,rideandshoottheirwaytoOlympicglory.

　　TheOpeningCeremonybeganwitha9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1countdownintheBeijingdusk.ThenaroarofthundercamefromtheflooroftheNationalStadiumwhere2,008drummersbeatlineafterlineoffou,anancientChinesepercussioninstrument.Thedrummerschantedastheystruckthefou,"Friendshavecomefromafar,howhappyweare."ThisphrasecomesfromtheworkofConfucius(551BC-479BC),oneofChina'smostimportanteducatorsandthinkers.

　　Thencamethefireworks.

　　AgeneralviewofdrummersperformingduringtheOpeningCeremonyforthe2008BeijingSummerOlympicsattheNationalStadiumonAugust8,2008inBeijing,China.(Photocredit:AdamPretty/GettyImages)

　　Tobegin,29hugefireworkdisplayswereshotupintotheairacrossthefouraxisoftheancientcapital:theForbiddenCity,TiananmenSquare,theTempleofHeaven,andjustabovetheNationalStadium.TheimpressivefireworkdisplaywasintendedtoremindviewersofChina'slegacyasthecivilizationthatinventedgunpowder,firstusedinChinaduringtheSongDynasty(960-1276AD).

　　AsthefireworkfootprintsreachedtheBird'sNesttheyilluminatedtheOlympicRingsinthestadiumbringingaresoundingroundofapplausefromtheaudience.

　　FewcouldseethesteelwiresandpulleysthatcarriedfairiesacrosstheskyabovetheOlympicrings.

　　Inthesecondact,childrenrepresentingeachofChina's56minoritygroupscarriedthefive-starrednationalflagacrossthestadiumtosoldierswhowerewaitingtohoistitontooneoftwoflagpolesnearby.Aftertheflagwasraised,alljoinedinthesingingoftheChinesenationalanthem,'TheMarchoftheVolunteers.'

　　FireworksgooffafterthetorchislitduringtheOpeningCeremonyforthe2008BeijingSummerOlympicsattheN