Paralympic Games: China promised "Two Games, equal splendour" and certainly delivered tonight as the majesty of the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony matched that of its Olympic counterpart.
Less than a month after the mesmerising Olympic ceremony captivated audiences around the globe - despite controversies over miming and digital fireworks - the Bird's Nest welcomed the 13th Paralympics in a vibrant performance of light, colour, music and movement.
More than four thousand athletes from 148 countries paraded around the stadium in a celebration of "transcendence, integration and equality" before competition for the first of 472 gold medals across 20 sports begins tomorrow.
China, where six per cent of the 1.3 billion population - 83 million - are disabled, have embraced these Games with over one million tickets sold and the stadium was full to its 91,000-capacity for the curtain-raiser.
At the heart of the extravaganza, centred on themes of space, time and life, was Li Yue, a 12-year-old ballerina who lost her left leg in the Sichuan earthquake in May.
After a solitary sun bird flew suspended in a starlit sky - created by torchlight from the audience - and three hundred deaf girls dressed in pure white signed in a stunning synchronised dance, Li led a "never-ending dance".
Li conducted a group of ballerinas with hearing impairment before being held aloft to a huge ovation.
Pages then peeled from a giant magic book to symbolise the change of seasons and the cycle of life before 2,000 children danced expressively and acrobatically - once again in utter unison - as frogs, seagulls, ducks and cows.
The Paralympics mascot is Fu Niu Lele, a cow.
Songs and fireworks took place throughout the ceremony, while 750 pairs of hands imitated birds in flight before the finale.
International Paralympic Committee president Philip Craven promised the Games would be truly memorable.
"During the 12 days of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games you will realise that the differences that you might have thought existed in the world are in fact, far less apparent," said Craven.
"You will see that we are all people of one world."
Six of the hosts' finest athletes - including Pin Yali, China's first Paralympic gold medallist - escorted the torch on its final journey.
Hou Bin, who lost his left leg at the age of nine before going on to triumph in the high jump at the last three Games, had the honour of lighting the flame.
Hou, sitting in a wheelchair, pulled himself up a rope suspended from the stadium roof before igniting the flame and setting off yet more stunning fireworks which proclaimed the Games open.
