SPRING Cocoon, or Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, will be seen throughout the world when the opening ceremony of the 26th Summer Universiade begins at 8 p.m. tonight.
The two-hour ceremony will include flag raising, the entrance of the athletes, swearing-in by athletes and judges, and cultural performances. The latter could well steal the show.
The most distinctive element of the ceremony is the opening and closing of “Gate of World,” which provides a perfect view for all audiences in the venue to enjoy performances, the sea and the grandeur of Hong Kong’s cityscape in the distance. Athletes will march through the gate into the stadium.
The Spring Cocoon, which is located in Nanshan District, is the only stadium in China from which one can see the sea.
Those who were thrilled by the opening ceremonies of Beijing Olympics and Guangzhou Asian Games will find the Shenzhen ceremony splendid yet different.
According to Shi Gang, vice head of the opening ceremony command center, athletes from all over the world will play a leading role at the ceremony. They will be invited to dance with performers and play an active part in the ceremony.
Without fireworks, the ceremony will wow spectators with new technology such as color laser projection and line screen images, according to Shi.
Covering an area of 330,000 square meters, Shenzhen Bay Sports Center has become a new landmark in the Shenzhen Bay area.
The construction of the center is a miracle of modern engineering. The main body of the huge project, which integrates a stadium, a natatorium and a gymnasium, took only 21 months to complete.
The Spring Cocoon was initially designed as a standby venue for training and warming-up for athletes, but in the end it was chosen for the opening ceremony and some other competitions.
The Universiade is far from the only exciting thing lined up for the stadium. After the Games, the center will be used as a sports theme park where citizens can exercise, watch games or just visit. (SD-Agencies)
Shenzhen Bay Sports Center
Buses: 229, 322, 353, 58, 80, K204, M347 (Binhai Keyuan Flyover stop )
121, 39, B605, B699, B700, B727, B793, B794, B814, E3, M209, M239, M299 (Nanshan Zhongxinqu stop)
Metro: Houhai Station
