Beijing is all set to become the first city to host both the Summer and the Winter Olympics. Nearly 3,000 athletes from 90 countries are participating amid the coronavirus pandemic and the diplomatic boycott over China’s human right’s record.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2022 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
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The ceremony will officially commence in the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s nest. The stadium previously hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games
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Though some events started two days prior, the opening ceremony will mark the official commencement of the Olympic Games
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The Opening Ceremony will see more than 150 US athletes
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The 2022 Beijing Olympics will see 3,000 performers, whereas the 2008 Beijing edition featured 15,000 performers. According to the ceremony director Zhang Yimou, the opening ceremony will last less than 100 minutes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and cold weather
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The United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and India are in a diplomatic boycott. These countries will not send any official government representatives to Beijing. However, the diplomatic boycott doesn’t affect athletes’ participation
No international spectators will be allowed to attend the events. The tickets have not been sold to the general public, but the organizers distributed them to “targeted” groups of people. Nearly 150,000 spectators are expected to attend the events
