Like nearly every other Chinese and those in the know, I watched the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics last Friday, 8/8/08 at 8:08pm—if you couldn’t tell, 8 is a very significant number in Chinese superstition (it’s a homophone of “prosperity”). We’ve waited 7 years for this moment, and despite the heavy, and often unfair, criticism of China’s human rights and environmental records, and goodness knows what else, all this was brushed aside, and we all lived for the moment.

Given my background in visual arts/design it’s become second nature to be on the look out for visually striking things and aesthetics, and I have to say I was utterly gobsmacked by the majestic, epic splendour of each performance. The ceremony began with a rumbling, thunderous countdown made by 2008 fou drummers, meticulously synchronised to utmost perfection as is humanly possible, building up a thrilling momentum before a loud bang of a circular ring of fireworks. That alone makes the opening ceremony incredibly memorable. But there was so much more opulent, elaborate, high-tech, sophisticated, synchronised madness yet to come.

Zhang Yimou directed the ceremony alongside Zhang Jigang, China’s most renowned choreographer and a team of other talents. If you’re familiar with …