Nanjing Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony. 16 August 2014.

Chinese President Xi Jinping announces the opening of the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games at 8.53 pm.

Around 9.48 pm a giant armillary sphere, taken as a symbol for the pursuit of dream, ascends in the centre

Students from universities in Nanjing compose the majority of the staff in the opening ceremony.

The performance consists of three chapters: “pursing dream,” “building dream” and “realizing dream.”

About 120 acrobats performed the “Dream Tower.”

Chinese athlete Lin Dan marches to the stadium, holding the torch. He passes torch to a female Chinese short track speed skater Zhou Yang, then Zhang Jike. Followed by Tang Ying and Chen Ding. Chen Ruolin, Chinese Diver is the last one to relay the torch, She walks over to the armillary sphere and light the flame.

Five world’s top musicians play Franz Liszt’s Dreams of Love.

Four singers, including South Korean actor Kim Soo Hyun, Chinese singers Jane Zhang, Zhang Jie and a Russian singer, sing the theme song for the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games.

The Opening Ceremony ended at 10.07pm. Athletes will compete in the competition over the next 12 days.

The Youth Olympic Games was first held in Singapore four years ago and lasted for 12 days. It was open to athletes aged from 15 to 18 years old. The second YOG, which starts from today (Aug. 16) in Nanjing, will feature about 3,787 athletes from around the world. The China delegation is the largest, with 120 athletes. In contrast to the Olympics, the YOG will feature four performance games, namely martial arts, rock climbing, roller skating and skateboarding.

Good Luck and give your best, to all the competitors and officials of the second YOG.