PyeongChang Olympics officially kick off with dazzling ceremony

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‍The laid-back county of PyeongChang turned into the world's center stage as the 23rd Winter Olympics in the Republic of Korea (ROK) officially raised its curtains with a dazzling opening ceremony featuring Korean cultures and cutting-edge technologies.

Some 43,000 spectators in the open-roof Olympic Stadium watched the performances in freezing temperatures.

Fireworks during the opening ceremony /VCG Photo

'Peace in Motion'

Themed "Peace in Motion," the ceremony began with five children walking into the Olympic Stadium with a giant model of a white tiger, which serves as the inspiration for the mascot of the PyeongChang Games.

White Tiger and five kids perform during the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. /VCG Photo

The white tiger, one of the four guardians in South Korean culture, symbolizes the spirits of the South Korean people while the children represent the Olympic rings as well as the five basic elements of nature.

Performers entertain during the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. /VCG Photo

The first artistic segment included three parts - The Countdown, the Land of Peace, and the Taeguek: Harmony of the Cosmos – before the parade of athletes.

The second artistic segment resumed after the parade. It also included three parts – Arirang: The Arrival of Time, All for the Future and Peace in Motion.

Performers carry the South Korean flag during the opening ceremony. /VCG Photo

Eight Korean athletes entered the stadium carrying the Olympic flag. The flag bearers consist of Olympic medalists and young rising stars of the Winter Olympic Games. The Olympic flag was hoisted and the Anthem sung.

"This is the moment that we have all been waiting for: The first Olympic Games on snow and ice in the Republic of Korea," International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said in his speech.

"Dear athletes, now, it’s your turn! This will be the competition of your life... You will inspire us all to live together in peace and harmony despite all our differences. You will inspire us by competing for the highest honor in the Olympic spirit of excellence, respect and fair play.

"While you compete with each other, you live peacefully together in the Olympic Village, respecting the same rules, sharing your meals and your emotions with your fellow athletes. This is how you show that in sport we are all equal. This is how you show the unique power of sport to unite people.

"Let us share this Olympic experience with the world. Let’s go together, PyeongChang!"

Unification flag, neutral flag

Following the Olympics tradition, the Parade of Athletes was led by Greece, followed by delegations entering in alphabetical order according to the Korean alphabet.

In the traditional Korean folk song "Arirang," the joint team of the DPRK and the ROK walked behind the unification flag, signifying peace between the two sides.

Delegations from the DPRK and the ROK march under the Korean unification flag during the Parade of Nations at the opening ceremony. /VCG Photo

The PyeongChang Games marks the third time the two Koreas walk under the "Korean Unification" flag in Olympics history. It was also the first joint march for the two countries at an opening ceremony of an international competition in 12 years due to the turmoil and tensions between the two sides.

Another highlight of the entrance ceremony was the Russian athletes marching in under a neutral flag – the flag of Olympic rings. Russia was banned from the Games due to a systematic doping scandal during the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allowed a group of Russians considered clean to take part.

Olympic Athletes from Russia parade during the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. /VCG Photo

Team China has 87 athletes taking part in the entrance ceremony with two-time Olympic champion Zhou Yang as the flagbearer.

China's delegation parades during the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games. /VCG Photo

Though the temperatures dropped to minus three degrees Celsius, some athletes showed their passion by going topless or wearing just shorts.

Tonga flag-bearer Pita Taufatofua during the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games /VCG Photo

Bermuda flag-bearer Tucker Murphy during the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games /VCG Photo

Light up the cauldron

The climax of the ceremony was when the ROK's figure skating superstar Kim Yu-na lit the Olympic cauldron after a short skating routine performance. She received the Olympic torch from two ice hockey players from the DPRK and the ROK.

Former figure skater Kim Yu-na of the ROK lights the cauldron during the opening ceremony. /Reuters Photo

There was wide speculation that Kim would be the final torchbearer. Kim won gold at the Vancouver Games in 2010 and silver in Sochi four years later.

The Games are scheduled to run from Feb. 9 to 25 with more than 2,900 athletes from 92 countries and regions set to compete in 15 sports disciplines.

It is the first time that the ROK has hosted the Winter Olympics and the second Olympic Games held in the country since the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics.

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