"It combines different Asian cultures in the opening ceremony. The performances of China's Beijing Opera player, Japan's geisha and Arab dancers are all fascinating," said Han Junwen, an editor from Beijing-based Qunzhong Publishing House.

The opening ceremony kicked off at midnight Beijing time but many people watched the show on TV.

"I felt excited seeing the fireworks explode in Doha," said Lei Tiantian, a student of the Beijing Medical University. "It was an amazing moment when 1,900 Qatari school children ran into the stadium carrying illuminated doves to form the words "Peace" in Arabic and English. I felt stunned."

Li Xiaolei, a 27-year-old journalist, was glued to the TV during the show. "I cannot move my eyes away from the TV. It was fantastic," she said.

Many people hope that Beijing can also stage a similarly exciting opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympic Games.

"The Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony should also combine our traditional culture and the modernization," Han Junwen, an editor also from the Qunzhong Publishing House.

Gui Yumin, a student from China's Tsinghua University, echoed Han's view, saying: "The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics should not only show the world our old and mysterious tradition but also an open and fashionable side of our country."

Li Xiaolei said that the Beijing Olympics organizers should learn from Doha's success. "We should also make the opening ceremony a story, which has Chinese features and is understandable to foreign audiences," she said.