UNITY

As a highlight of the opening, a water-converging ceremony spoke out all the Asian people's hopes for unity and harmony.

Forty-five holy water girls, representing 45 Asian countries and regions, held glass containers with water collected from all major waterways of Asia, and poured the water into the holy fire basin who arose from the stage center.

Performers pushed four bridge arms toward the fire basin, and put the arms into a harmony-symbolized homocentric bridge, while dancers wearing costumes of different Asian countries formed a pattern of the emblem of Olympic Council of Asia under the bridge.

The images of smiling people from Asian countries and regions, old and young, men and women, slid though the screen as renowned buildings of each Asian country and region, from China's Heavenly Temple to India's Taj Mahal.

Liu Peng, president of the Games organization committee and Minister of the General Administration of Sport, hailed the values of Asiad in his opening speech.

"We find, the values promoted at those earlier Games - Solidarity, Friendship and Progress through sport – are as relevant today as they ever were," he said.

However, a disappointment to the Games lovers, there was no joint parade of the Koreans in Guangzhou as they did last time in Doha.

The presence of the representatives from war-ravaged Afghanistan and Iraq somehow reinforced people's faith in the Asiad on promoting peace and unity.

"It's not just a participation, the aim for our team is to show the best ability and we are not taking it as a trip and only for joy," Adil Fadhil, secretary general of Iraqi Olympic Committee, told Xinhua.

(Xinhua News Agency November 13, 2010)