The ceremony began with a flash back to previous Winter games before the centre of the arena focused on a countdown around a Curling rink and once the countdown ended, the dignitaries were introduced to the arena crowd alongside the entry of the Chinese flag which was carried by both impaired and unimpaired flag bearers.
Centre stage then lit up to welcome the Games Mascot - Shuey Rhon Rhon and begin the Athletes parade with 600 entering the arena overall who will compete in six different sports and the musical accompaniment fanged from classical to upbeat. The GB flagbearers were Wheelchair Curlers-Meggan Dawson-Farrell and Gregor Ewan as they led out a team of 25 for the games and China closed the parade with the largest group of Athletes numbering 96.
The next segment was the speeches by the dignitaries -Cai Qi, President of the Beijing 2022 Organising Committee and Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee. This was followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping announcing the Games officially open leading into a huge firework display.
Performers entered the arena stage with a mix of impaired and unimpaired in a feature entitled 'Beautiful People' with an array of light across the arena floor and whimsical choral music with a meeting of the emotions between both unimpaired and impaired groups and showcasing the Paralympic logo and the message ' Change Starts With Sport'.
The Paralympic flag was then carried into the arena accompanied by the Paralympic anthem and the procession of the Paralympic torch which culminated in the lighting of the Paralympic Snowflake which was formed of each of the mini signs introducing each nation in the earlier parade. The sky above the Bird's Nest stadium lit up with a huge firework display as the Snowflake rose to signal the end of the ceremony.
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