The reason why the 2023 ASIAD opening ceremony decided not to display fireworks

Fireworks are traditionally a part of the opening ceremonies of major sporting events. But China has announced there will be no fireworks at the 2023 Asian Games.

On the evening of September 18, 2023, the third rehearsal of the 2023 ASIAD Opening Ceremony took place successfully with the presence of more than 50,000 spectators. This is the final preparation step before the official Opening Ceremony takes place on the evening of September 23 at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, China.

For a green world

With the goal of holding a green Games, the organizing committee has made efforts to bring the first carbon-free ASIAD. The concepts of "green", "smart", "saving" and "civilized" are clearly shown in every detail. The organizing committee has initiated 8 special projects to reduce emissions such as: Building green venues, providing green energy, upgrading green transportation, trying to reduce carbon emissions, etc.

The opening ceremony will also convey this message. At the Opening Ceremony, the organizers said that there will be no fireworks display, a ritual often seen at events or previous Games. Sha Xiaolan, general director of the Opening Ceremony of the Games, said: "The Hangzhou Asian Games Opening Ceremony will break the tradition of fireworks because we are following a green philosophy in organizing this event. Because we want to reduce carbon emissions as much as possible, we have decided to cut down on fireworks displays."

The main lighting colors of the Opening Ceremony will be blue and green, said general director Sha Xiaolan. "We want to present the beauty of ecology, humanity and sports of China, a modern civilization, to the world in a picture of beautiful landscapes including green mountains and clear blue water. The Opening Ceremony of the Asian Games will be concise but not simple," said Mr. Sha.

The green philosophy is even more meaningful when it is implemented at the congress taking place in Hangzhou - a city famous for its "forest in the city", with the largest green coverage density among cities in China.

An Asia on the Rise

Renowned director Lu Chuan served as the main director for the opening event. The director, who was invited by Disney to collaborate, worked with 17 domestic and foreign producers and experts to plan and execute the ceremony. Among them, Oscar-winning music producer Tan Dun, who composed the soundtrack for the movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", served as the music director. Sha Xiaolan, president of Beijing Funshine Culture Media, served as the general director of the program. Sha Xiaolan's company is famous for designing lighting for major sporting events and performances, such as the 2008 Olympics and Paralympics, the 2010 Asian Games and the Shanghai World Expo. Nathan Heverin served as the head of the choreography design team, Scott Givens, director of Five Currents Creative Company, worked with the International Olympic Committee, and Nick Eltis served as the technical director.

"As a film director, I will bring the ideas from the filmmaking process to the Opening Ceremony of the 19th Asian Games," said director Lu Chuan. "I hope that everyone in the world will see the vibrant side of China, and also the warmth in our hearts and our sense of responsibility to the world."

The theme of the Opening Ceremony is "A Rising Asia". The Opening Ceremony is divided into three chapters, including "Ethnic Style and Elegant Rhyme", "Tide of the Qiantang River" and "Walking Together". In chapters one and two, artists and technology will recreate and integrate the symbols and images of Hangzhou and Zhejiang. The third part is a performance showcasing Chinese culture, Asian sportsmanship and integration in the new era.

Wu Yan, one of the directors of the Opening Ceremony, said that the ceremony coincides with the autumn equinox and the peak tide of the Qiantang River, and is also the golden harvest season in Zhejiang, so the entire ceremony will bring a warm and familiar feeling. "Our team comes from all over the country, and after three years of training, we have held more than a hundred planning meetings, revised nearly a hundred draft plans before and after, polished them many times, and strived for excellence," said Wu Yan.

For Hangzhou, known as a hub of innovation, the Asian Games are an opportunity to showcase the city's cutting-edge technologies. Director Sha Xiaolan said he and his team will use a digital torch lighting method combined with traditional torch lighting. As of September 16, more than 80 million people had registered to light the digital torch on the "Smart Hangzhou 2022" app.

The 19th Asian Games will take place from September 23 to October 8, with 40 sports including 61 disciplines and 481 events. The official opening ceremony will take place on September 23, but some sports will start competing as early as September 19.

Hangzhou and its satellite cities will host more than 12,500 athletes from 45 countries and regions across the continent for the continent’s largest multi-sport event, which takes place every four years. This is the largest number of athletes participating in the Games in history. The previous record was set at the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia in 2018, with more than 11,000 athletes participating.