The much anticipated Military World Games will officially kick off on Friday in Wuhan. The opening ceremony of the games is highly anticipated as it promises strong visual effects and immersive audience experiences.
The two-hour ceremony will take place at the Wuhan Sports Center Stadium.
The iconic stadium for the ceremony can host nearly 60,000 spectators. It has hosted many high-level sporting events in the past such as the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Asia.
The ceremony on Friday will include a welcoming ceremony, and a parade for various national delegations. It will also involve a flag-raising ceremony, an artistic performance and the lighting of the stadium's torch.
For the 50-minute artistic performance, it will display many military elements, such as China's famous military figures and events, which organizers say will be presented in a poetic narrative.
In addition, the gala plans to convey to the world audience the history and culture of China. The ceremony will demonstrate ancient Chinese philosophy – the idea that the military is ultimately about stopping the use of weapons and avoiding war.
For instance, the Chinese character "Wu" could be split to two characters of "stop" and "axe," which convey traditional meaning of "military," that is, "to stop the use of weapons and avoid war is truly military," or "any effort and determination to stop wars should be appreciated."
Yang Xiaoyang, general director of the ceremonies, told a press conference last Friday that his team would make use of the multi-dimensional stage of new and high technologies to fully reflect the old meaning of "military."
Meanwhile, expectations are high for the center-piece stage. Promoters say they will give the audience a multi-dimensional experience with elements of the presentation coming from the air and varying angles. Numerous hidden doors will allow performers to quickly enter and get into formations. And LED displays will infuse it all in dazzling light.
The opening ceremony will start at 8 p.m. on Friday night.
The multi-sport Military World Games has been held every four years since 1995, with the 7th Games set to run from October 18 to 27 in Wuhan.