Peking University, February 11, 2022: I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Peking University, School of International Studies, and the Office of International Relations for giving me the opportunity to enjoy the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics at the Bird's Nest. We were seated in the foreign guest area on the 1st floor, around row 14. The position was so excellent that we could almost catch the facial expressions of the performers passing in front of us.


The opening ceremony was a series of surprises from beginning to end. The first act, a grass-like block delivering a vibrant green display, was created by performers each carrying a flexible illuminated stick more than 10 times their height and shaking it back and forth. In my opinion, this symbolized unity. I was curious to see how the performers operated the long, clumsy-looking rods, which must have taken a lot of sweat and effort.

What impressed me the most was the performance featuring children dancing with large doves that were more than twice as big as their heads. Doves are a symbol of peace, and I, too, like the children, am living with hope for a safe and peaceful future.


What also impressed me was the young boy's trumpet performance of "My Motherland and I". As I watched the Chinese flag being passed down, I suddenly noticed the projection of the boy playing the trumpet on the big screen. "Is that young boy playing?” I was amazed. Listening to his performance again, I was so impressed by his sophisticated temperament that I almost exclaimed "Wow! Wow! Wow!". The performance, though given in front of a large audience, was poised, steady and impeccable.

The entrance of the teams from each country was an exciting moment for every spectator, each looking forward to the entrance of their country's athletes. Greece was the first to enter, followed by Turkey, Malta ...... Why this order? The teacher sitting next to me told me, "It seems to be the order when translated into Chinese." Later I learned that the order was determined by the number of strokes and the stroke order of the first character of a country’s name, as written in simplified Chinese characters. Mr Pedro from the School of Foreign Languages whispered, "Japan is next", which was touching. Cheering together with my foreign colleagues from Peking University as their national teams passed in front of us was a delightful and unforgettable experience.


The upcoming year will be a landmark year for me, where half of my life will be spent in Japan and the other half in China. The opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics kicks off this important year. I want to continue to live and study in China and cultivate a sense of home. For this reason, I want to contribute to Chinese society by further studying China and by educating Japanese learners.

Introduction:

Iwamoto Setsuko, Professor, School of International Studies, Peking University

Written by: Iwamoto Setsuko
Edited by: Zhang Jiang
Source: Office of International Relations