The Olympics returned to Beijing 14 years after the unforgettable 2008 Summer Games as Friday's opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics marked the end of months of uncertainty over the event due to the ongoing pandemic.
The National Stadium - better known as the Bird's Nest Stadium - was the venue for Friday's opening ceremony, which was a scaled down version of the one in 2008 due to the severe restrictions put in place to stop of the spread of the coronavirus.
Even so, a number of high profile dignitaries were in Beijing for the opening ceremony. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, arrived in Beijing on Friday to attend the Winter Olympics after being invited by President Xi Jinping.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also arrived on Friday for a meeting with President Xi ahead of the opening ceremony
A number of spectators filled up the Bird's Nest stadium before the opening ceremony despite the freezing -4 degrees Celsius temperature.
Still, it was an opportunity for Beijing celebrated the 'Year of the Tiger' on the Olympic stage.
The tiger — a symbol of strength and good luck in Chinese folklore — was featured during the ceremony. The placard bearers for all 91 countries in the 'parade of nations' each wore a unique tiger-head hat, and a children’s choir was outfitted in traditional tiger-head shoes made in the northern Hebei province.
Restrictions have been put in place on crowd attendance with organisers deciding last month not to sell tickets to Olympic events to limits the spread of the virus. A 'closed loop' has also been created to separate competitors and other personnel from the Chinese public throughout the Olympics.
President Xi Jinping stood and waved as the Chinese delegation entered the Bird’s Nest to complete the parade of athletes.
China have about 175 athletes expected to compete in the Olympics. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia made its first appearance at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony after alpine skier Fayik Abdi qualified to compete.
Following the grand opening, the attention will shift to the venues on Saturday .
All eyes turn now to whether Alpine skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin, who already owns three Olympic medals, can raise the bar higher. Snowboard sensation Shaun White will be looking to cap off his Olympic career.
Also, China will be pinning their hopes on Eileen Gu, the 18-year-old, American-born freestyle skier who has chosen to compete for her mother’s native country and could win three gold medals.
