PyeongChang Winter Paralympics end with closing ceremony

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The 2018 Winter Paralympics, also the 12th Paralympic Winter Games, are winding down with the closing ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea.

The United States topped the medal chart with 13 golds, the Neutral Paralympic Athletes from Russia ranked second place, and Canada finished third with nine golds.

China collected one gold medal for wheelchair curling during the Games.

Chinese athletes won the wheelchair curling final on Saturday at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games. /VCG Photo

The next Winter Paralympics will be held in Beijing in 2022 when the Chinese capital will become the first city to host both Summer and Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

Comparing to the Beijing eight-minute show presented at the 2018 Winter Olympic closing ceremony, the performance Zhang Yimou gives the world this time is a much romantic and sweet story.

The flag of South Korea is carried into the stadium. /VCG Photo

The show, inspired by the song “I Want to Fly”, is a perfect match with the emblem of the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. The lyrics is written by Zhang Haidi, who is considered as the role model of disabled people in China.

The Beijing eight-minute show during the closing ceremony of 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games. /VCG Photo

"In a bright moon night, stars twinkle, a little girl with a disability looked up at the sky and fancies that she could fly. Nothing can stop her from longing for freedom, even in the midst of storm,” Zhang Haidi wrote in the song.

Zhang herself is deeply involved in the planning of the performance so that the team can express the hopes and dreams of disabled people with poetic language.

Tonight’s show was performed by 17 deaf actresses from the China Disabled People’s Art troupe, along with eight robot actors.

With this performance, China once again gives the world a warm invitation to Beijing.