Highlights from 18th Asian Games opening ceremony

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02:01

The 18th Asian Games officially began Saturday with an opening ceremony featuring Indonesia's spectacular landscapes, wonderful history and diverse cultures.

Here are some highlights from the ceremony at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta.

President's entrance

An actor impersonating Indonesian President Joko Widodo rides a motorbike during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on August 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

Indonesian President Joko Widodo made a spectacular entrance by riding a motorcycle into the stadium.

In a video shown at the very beginning of the ceremony, the president, troubled by a traffic jam, mounted a motorcycle to take a shortcut through the city's alleys.

When a man in black and wearing a helmet rode into the stadium, cheers burst from the crowd.

The motorcycle rider waved to the excited audience and then rode backstage where, according to the live video, he took off the helmet, revealing the president looking solemn in his suit.

He mounted again to the center of the stage, shook hands with his honored guests, and the ceremony began.

A spectacular scene

The backdrop of an enormous mountain during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on August 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

The whole ceremony was staged with the backdrop of an enormous mountain reminiscent of the lush landscapes of Indonesia.

The mountain on the stage weighed 600 tons and measured 120 meters long, 30 meters wide and 26 meters tall.

It was comprised of more than 12,775 real plants and flowers planted across more than 1,350 square meters, with a stunning waterfall with 70 tons of cascading water.

It was believed to be the largest set piece ever featured in a multi-games ceremony.

Besides the mountain, a life-sized replica nusantara ship and a 10-meter shimmering sun that was said to have been created using 122,637 gold mylar disks, also grabbed the audience's attention during the ceremony.

According to local media, the ceremony took a year to prepare and cost about 500 billion to 600 billion Indonesian rupiah (34 million to 41 million US dollars).

Tribute

Indonesia hosted the Asian Games for the first time in 1962.

Then Indonesian President Sukarno, who supported Jakarta's bid for the 1962 Asian Games, made a speech at the Games, saying that the event was a milestone for the Indonesian people, especially for Indonesian sports.

He also said the event was significant for enhancing the communication between the Indonesian people and the world.

The ceremony paid tribute to the former events by showing a video of the late president making his speech at the ceremony 56 years ago.

A moment of silence

The audience stands in silent tribute in memory of the deceased in the 6.4-magnitude earthquake, which happened on August 5, during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on August 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

A moment of silence was observed during the opening ceremony in memory of the deceased in the recent earthquake.

A 7.0-magnitude quake struck off Lombok Island on August 5, a week after a 6.4-magnitude quake hit the tourist destination. Since then, hundreds of aftershocks have followed.

The death toll has surged to 460 people as rescuers continue to pull victims from the ruins, an official from the disaster agency said on Thursday.

Flag of unity

Lim Yung-hui and Ju Kyong Chol carry a unified Korean flag during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on August 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

Athletes from the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) entered the stadium together.

Lim Yung-hui, a female basketball player from the ROK, and Ju Kyong Chol, a male football player from the DPRK, carried a unified Korean flag displaying the entire Korean Peninsula in blue against a white backdrop, while leading the delegation into the stadium.

It was the 11th time athletes from the ROK and DPRK have marched together in the opening ceremony of a multi-games ceremony, with the most recent one at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics earlier this year.

Lighting the Asian Games cauldron

Susi Susanti, Indonesia's first Olympic champion – the 1992 Olympic badminton gold medalist – ignites the cauldron during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Asian Games at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta on August 18, 2018. /VCG Photo

The flame for the 18th Asian Games was ignited in New Delhi, India, the host city for the first Asian Games. The flame was transported to Indonesia by air, and then fused with the eternal flame of Mrapen, an eternal flame that is the result of natural geologic activity in Indonesia.

The domestic torch relay visited 54 cities in 18 provinces of Indonesia from July 17 to August 18.

During the opening ceremony, the final six torchbearers relayed up the mountain inside the stadium before Susi Susanti, Indonesia's first Olympic gold medalist, lit the cauldron to complete the flame's journey

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Source(s): Xinhua News Agency