Beijing Olympics organizers have denied reports that the opening ceremony of the 2008 Games will feature a Chinese opera.

Well, not exactly deny. Merely insist that the exact details of the ceremony are a closely guarded secret.

A Beijing-based newspaper this week quoted the ceremony’s artistic director Zhang Yimou as saying that the viewers would have a chance to taste Qinqiang, a folk opera popular in northwest China, during the opening ceremony.

Immediate denial followed.

Zhu Hong, deputy director of the opening and closing ceremonies department of the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee (BOCOG), dismissed the report as ‘absolutely false’.

But how absolute is that?

Zhu Hong said, ‘There are about 300 kinds of folk operas in China. We have yet to decide whether the ceremony should showcase any local opera or not, not to mention decide how it can be displayed.’

He does even know how the Olympic flame will be lit at the opening ceremony even though that is fixed.

He said, ‘It’s op secret. Only ten people know about the details, even I know nothing.’

Beijing intends to make the three and a half hours show the best opening ceremony ever. Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, Australian Ric Birch and Frenchman Yves Pepin have been invited by the organizing committee to be creative consultants for the opening ceremony.

None of the three know very much about Chinese opera for which relief much thanks.
Source: China View