Reduced cast

Compared with the opening ceremony in 2008, which also took place at the Bird's Nest, the number of cast members was significantly reduced this time due to the pandemic and cold weather.

Full use was made of high-technology to present an eye-catching spectacle.

Chang Yu, director of the opening and closing ceremonies department for the Beijing 2022 organizing committee, said: "China has invested a great deal in science and technology. With high-tech, we were able to stage a splendid show with a participating cast."

Light-emitting diode, or LED, screens covered a large area of the stadium floor.

As more than 600 children sang the theme song for Beijing 2022, they played with snowflakes projected on a screen under their feet. By using motion capture technology, the young singers interacted with the snowflakes, which changed shape and direction based on the children's movements.

Chang said, "As far as I know, it's the largest screen to provide motion capture technology for such a big group of performers."

Olympic rings made from ice rose from a huge frozen square about the height of a three-story building.