First full dress rehearsal of Beijing Olympic opening ceremony held in secret
11/7/2008 17:28
The first full dress rehearsal of the opening ceremony of the Beijing
Olympic Games was held in secret at the National Stadium last night, reported
China's Central Television (CCTV).
Tight security was deployed outside the
stadium to keep the program of the three-and-a-half hour opening ceremony
confidential, said the brief CCTV item.
Three cordon fences circled the
stadium, better known as the Bird's Nest for its unique structure of interwoven
steel beams. Armed police only unlocked the gates for vehicles with special
passes, according to the TV footage.
Workers were still putting finishing
touches on the venue, which will be the center stage for both the opening and
closing ceremonies of the Olympics and Paralympics.
All of the workers on
duty had signed agreements with the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee (BOCOG)
to keep what they saw confidential, according to BOCOG.
Two directors of the
ceremony, Wang Chaoge and Fan Yue, attended a media debut of the outdoor
performance "Impression West Lake" in Beijing yesterday.
Wang disclosed that
the elements of "Sichuan" and "Wenchuan" will be embodied in the opening
ceremony in tribute to the Chinese spirit manifested after the devastating May
12 earthquake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province.
He said the
biggest headache for the organizers of the ceremonies was the weather.
"It is
the one thing beyond human control. Rain would cause delays in the progress of
the event, as it would dampen performers' costumes and props," Wang
said.
Zhang Yimou, director-in-chief of the ceremony, said at the one-month
countdown to the Games on Tuesday that all the crew worked at night to better
adjust themselves to the evening performance. They took an oath on the countdown
to struggle hard for a successful event.
Zhang's team made three years of
preparations for the show, which is expected by Chinese to showcase the essence
of China's rich culture, concept and vision to the world.
Sources with the
team said there would be three more rehearsals of the opening
ceremony.
Xinhua
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