From the synchronized beats of 2008 drummers to the 2008 Tai Chi masters to the beautiful over-sized picture painted by dancers and the feet of thousands of Olympic Athletes, the Beijing Olympics began with a beautiful program that incorporated thousands of artists from across China.

Although the children's choir was used several times, no other dancer or musician was used twice in the beautifully choreographed program. Each element of the Opening Ceremonies included precision and beauty testifying to many hours of practice on the part of the Chinese. Enacting a program of color and variety, the Chinese sought to bring years of tradition into the 21st century and their hopes for the future.

The Living Palette was drawn by artists as they danced on the canvas. They used the choreographed dance to the well-performed music to write ancient symbols on the canvas and draw a silhouette of the mountains, the sky and the sun.

This canvas was then placed on the floor again as the Olympiads from all the nations represented placed their footprints on the bottom of the canvas in a myriad of colors. This picture will be on display in China for the duration of the Olympics and then it will be shown around the world in a tour of various art museums.

As the Olympiads marched in and gathered in the center of the field, they also made mosaic of the full field. Dressed in their cultural dress or in colors that indicated their national pride, the Olympic ideal was fully captured by the picture presented on the infield as the nations come together

The lighting of Olympic Cauldron, always a surprise to the crowd and to the world, did not fail to surprise again as the final torch-bearer was lifted to the top of the stadium.

He then “ran” in midair around the top of the stadium as the scroll unfolded before him. The scroll that opened showed the torch in various places around the world as it had been carried for thousands of miles to Beijing.

As he came back to his starting place at the top of the field, a cauldron in the shape of the spiraled scroll had been moved into place. His light was placed at the lower edge of the scroll and as the flame took flight from the torch, it followed the path of the spiraled scroll to the cauldron at the top of the scroll, becoming the 2008 Olympic Cauldron.

The Olympic organizers have chosen the theme, “One World, One Dream” for this year's summer Olympics. The ceremony that took place in Beijing on 8/8/08 was definitely an opening of its doors inviting the nations to its shores.

While China is still steeped in tradition and is at the center of many human rights conflicts, its youth does have a dream of becoming part of the world culture in a new way.

Inviting the Olympics to their land and in opening that door in such a dazzling display, the world accepted the invitation to enter and watch as the world's top athletes compete for the prize during the coming days.