The 2018 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony
Birds, Tigers, and Dragons, Oh My!
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The Color team went to the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony after successfully completing the Blockchain 3.0 conference (which we’ll cover in a later article). The opening ceremony was composed of six diverse artistic presentations that introduced the culture of the Olympic host country. The opening ceremony was held in a pentagonal outdoor stadium seating and 35,000 filled to the brim. It was a tremendous opportunity to be able to appreciate the performance of the Olympic opening ceremony held in our country, so the -4°C temperature did not seem to be a big obstacle to fully enjoying the show. After the countdown, a bell of peace was echoed and a full-scale opening ceremony began.
The Land of Peace
Five children in each of the five traditional colors of the five elements (fire, water, wood, metal, and earth), dancing in concert with the traditional Korean mythical animals; The White Tiger, Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise (animals protecting the east, west, south, and north respectively), and other various animals, and maidens all danced in prayer for peace. A giant bird with the human face with wings of a flourishing hanbok (A traditional Korean wear similar to the likes of a Japanese Kimono) became center stage, and elaborately produced costumes, decorations, and delicate movements were brilliantly woven together. The first performance was completed as each of the mythical creatures were cast as light into the sky.
TAEGEUK: Harmony of the Cosmos
The performers played and yelled loudly, as the drums became louder and louder. As the four trigrams (present on the outer edges of the Korean flag) of light representing heaven, earth, water, and fire, shined in the sky, the pounding drums, and dynamic dance made the stage a captivating spectacle.
After raising the Korean national flag, athletes from 92 countries entered the stadium in order. Tonga’s flag bearer, who waved the Tongan flag shirtless, stole the spotlight with his toned physique glistening in the frigid winter temperatures. Finally, emotions ran high when athletes from South and North Korea entered the joint event with a light blue flag featuring the Korean Peninsula depicted in the middle to signify the hope for future reunification. It was a heart pounding emotional roller-coaster and as everyone sat in the stands, a fireworks display took place as the first act of a three act series began.
Part 1 — ARIRANG: In the River of TIme, green meadow flowers spread out on the stadium ground and five children crossed the river on a raft.
Part 2 — The Future for All (ALl for the Future) was a media art performance. A total of 120 doors symbolizing the future of the Republic of Korea were laid in a line and a new world was opened in which people, things, time, and space were all connected.
Part 3— Peace in Motion, the five children, four singers, and the crowd all traveling through time together, held candles and sang John Lennon’s Imagine. Finally, the doves that ascended to the heavens in the hope of peace shortly after were replaced by 1,218 drones equipped with LED’s eventually illuminating the sky in the shape of the Olympic Rings.
After the performance of the famous Korean soprano Hwang Soo Mi, who sang the Olympic hymns, two women from the South and North Korean hockey teams went up the slope staircase for the torch relay. The last runner and torchbearer, Kim Yu-na, danced gracefully on the ice rink and then lit up the elaborately carved ice sculptures. Before long, a pillar of fire rose and the torch was lit.
The opening ceremony of the winter Olympic Games came to an end as the wish fire that started the festival illuminated the whole earth and sky. With the burning torch in view at the opening ceremony, the members of the Color team saw the burning flame as a symbol of hope for the future.
