The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has officially kicked off. President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony of the Games on Friday together with more than 30 foreign heads of state and government, members of royal families and leaders of international organizations. The president hosted some of these special guests at a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Let's take a closer look at what the visiting dignitaries can expect upon their arrival.

The red carpet has long been a tradition worldwide to mark the path a head of state or VIP will tread at a formal event. The one set up for the reception this time led guests to a showcase of the best of China's intangible cultural heritage.

There was a temple fair celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year in the hall with dough figurines, Peking opera masks, paper-cutting and wood-block painting. The artists demonstrated how the handicrafts are made. All of them are symbols of Chinese folk culture and contributed to the joyous atmosphere of the Spring Festival.

President Xi Jinping joined his guests for a commemorative photo on the third floor of the hall. Right after that, they moved to the banquet hall through a gate adorned with the flags of nations and international organizations, such as the UN. The arrangement carried a very strong sense of ceremony and highlighted China's warm welcome to all its guests from around the world.

The decor in the banquet hall is based on the Chinese archway, known as pailou, an iconic symbol of traditional Chinese architecture. In the middle of the banquet hall, there were also scale models of the Games' sports venues, such as Big Air Shougang, the National Sliding Center and the National Ski Jumping Center.

It was the first time President Xi Jinping had face-to-face communication with so many state leaders at one time since the pandemic broke out in 2020. He said, "From the motto of 'One World, One Dream' in the 2008 Summer Games to that of 'Together for a Shared Future' in the 2022 Winter Games, China has actively participated in the Olympic movement and has consistently championed the Olympic spirit."

Despite the impact of a once-in-a-century pandemic and profound changes in the world, the presence of the visiting dignitaries is proof of their support for China's pursuit of the Olympic ideal. Faster, Higher, Stronger, and Together, that's the new Olympic motto the Beijing Games will surely deliver.

(Cover: Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan host a welcoming banquet for distinguished guests from around the world at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, February 5, 2022. /Xinhua)