Final rehearsal of PyeongChang Winter Olympics

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South Korea will welcome the world with the opening ceremony for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics tonight, while the final dress rehearsal for the gala had finished last night.

About 2,000 people took part, with plenty of high-tech gizmos enhancing the performance. PyeongChang will become the third Asian city to host the Winter Games, following the footsteps of two Japanese cities, Sapporo and Nagano.

The opening ceremony will be themed "Peace in Motion" and five children from the countryside of Gangwondo will perform an adventure story with nature.

The story starts from an ancient South Korean myth and fast forward to the future. The event will showcase South Korea's development in history, and focus on the philosophy of "peace and harmony."

The teams of DPRK and South Korea, marching under a unification flag, in a parade during the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games at the Stadio Comunale in Turin, Italy. /VCG Photo

Meanwhile, the main focus of the opening will no doubt be the South Korean and the DPRK delegations, who will march under the same flag, highlighting the theme of peace.

File Photo - China's Zhou Yang celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Women's Short Track 1500 m Final at the Iceberg Skating Palace during the Sochi Winter Olympics. /VCG Photo

Eighty-seven Chinese will take part in the opening ceremony, and the two-time Olympic champion Zhou Yang has been named the country's flagbearer.

The opening ceremony will begin at 8:00 p.m. local time (7 p.m. BJT) tonight and will last about two hours.

Around 43,000 people are expected to watch it live at the Olympic stadium.