The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olympic torch relay, which formally ends with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. The flame then continues to burn in the cauldron for the duration of the Games, until it is extinguished during the Olympic closing ceremony.
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was first time the new Paralympic logo featured in the Summer Paralympics since its rebranding after the 2004 Summer Paralympics.
Cui Jian is a Beijing-based Chinese singer-songwriter, trumpeter and guitarist. Affectionately called "Old Cui", he is credited with pioneering Chinese rock music. For this distinction he is often labeled the "Father of Chinese Rock".
Mark Henry Rowswell, CM, better known by his Chinese stage name Dashan, is a Canadian comedian, xiangsheng performer, and television personality popular in China. Relatively unknown in the West, from the late 1980s through the early 2000s Dashan was one of the most famous Western personalities in China's media industry, where he occupied a unique position as a foreign national who had become a domestic celebrity, largely through his repeated appearances on China Central Television (CCTV) during that period. Since 2012 Dashan has largely turned away from mainstream media to focus on solo performances in live venues, helping to introduce stand-up comedy to China.
The Olympic Hymn, also known as the Olympic Anthem, is a choral cantata by opera composer Spyridon Samaras (1861–1917), with Demotic Greek lyrics by Greek poet Kostis Palamas. Both poet and composer were the choice of the Greek Demetrius Vikelas, who was the first President of the International Olympic Committee.
"Mo Li Hua" is a Chinese folk song from the Jiangnan region. The song dates back to the 18th century. Over time, many regional variations were created, and the song gained popularity both in China and abroad.
Mario Frangoulis is a Greek vocalist and theatre actor, famous for his refined tenor vocals. Born in Rhodesia, Frangoulis after his three-decade long career has established himself as a critically and commercially acclaimed recording artist and vocal performer in Greece and neighbouring countries. His initial rise to international prominence came with his hit song "Vincerò, Perderò" and his rendition of the song "Nights in White Satin".
A Sinophile is a person who demonstrates a strong interest for China, Chinese culture, Spoken Chinese, Chinese history, and/or Chinese people.
George Gao is a Chinese-born erhu player and composer.
Zhang Jigang (simplified Chinese: 张继钢; traditional Chinese: 張繼鋼; pinyin: Zhāng Jìgāng, pronounced[tʂáŋtɕîkáŋ]; is an internationally acclaimed Chinese choreographer and a Lieutenant General in the People's Liberation Army. He was the former director of the Song and Dance Ensemble with the People's Liberation Army before promotion in 2006. Zhang Jigang now holds the highest non-combat military officer rank in China.
Ara Dinkjian is an Armenian-American musician. He is the founder of the band Night Ark. Dinkjian is considered one of the top oud players in the world, his compositions have been recorded in thirteen different languages, which include the multi-platinum hit "Dinata" which was performed in the closing ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
The 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and began at 20:00 China Standard Time (UTC+8) on Sunday night, 24 August 2008. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture.
Chairman George is a 73-minute 2005 Canadian documentary film about the Greek Canadian musician / troubadour and statistician George Sapounidis. The documentary is directed by Daniel Cross and Mila Aung-Thwin and produced by EyeSteelFilm in association with CTV, BBC's "Storyville" series and TV2.
Mila Aung-Thwin is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, producer and activist whose films deal with social justice.
Hanggai is an Inner Mongolian folk music group based in Beijing who specialize in a blend of Mongolian folk music and more modern styles such as punk rock. Their songs incorporate traditional folk lyrics as well as original compositions, and are sung in Mongolian and Mandarin.
Wang Xilin is a Chinese composer.
Celtae was a Canadian band, formed in 2001 in Ottawa, playing neo-Celtic music. The band was founded by Nathan MacDonald of Cape Breton Island, and included Matt Holland of Summerside, Prince Edward Island and Tyree Lush of Gambo, Newfoundland and Labrador. Original fiddler Jules Sisk left the band, and was replaced by Dana Arrowsmith of Sudbury, Ontario.
The 1976 Summer Olympics torch relay celebrated the first time that a Canadian city had hosted the Games. Convention states that the flame should be lit at Olympia in Greece and then transported to Athens, making its way onwards to the host city. On this occasion a signal was sent via satellite to transmit the flame to Ottawa where it would then make its way to the 1976 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in Montreal and a second ceremony in Kingston, Ontario.
Kamila Nasr is a Canadian singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist based in Montreal, Quebec. She is the feature subject of director Terry Stone's 2007 film Virtuoso, a Canadian documentary on the Theremin. In September 2012, she released her solo album Paint the Moon under her stage name Kamila and as an independent label.
The 2022 Winter Olympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing on 20 February 2022. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings are expected to combine the formal ceremonial closing of this international sporting event with an artistic spectacle to showcase the culture and history of the current and next host nation (Italy) for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
