BEIJING, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games, held in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, on Saturday evening, was a fantastic showcase of China's vitality and a remarkable presentation of culture, technology, and modernity, experts worldwide have said.

The following are some of the highlights of their comments.

-- The Hangzhou Asian Games serve as a significant platform for China and other participators to highlight their cultural contributions to the world and promote the appreciation of their unique cultures and arts, said Anna Malindog-Uy, vice president of the Manila-based think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute.

-- The grand occasion of the games reflects China's vitality in all aspects, and the enthusiastic participation of people reflects the cohesion of this country, said Mubarak Al Dosari, director of the sports department of the Al-Arab Newspaper and general manager of the Salmiya Sports Club in Kuwait.

The opening ceremony utilized a lot of digital technology, which was very intelligent, especially the most exciting lighting of the main torch. It broke the tradition of a single torchbearer lighting the main torch, and the "online torchbearer" and the on-site torchbearer lit the main torch together, he said.

This marked the first-ever lighting ceremony in the history of the Asian Games that combines virtual reality, the expert added.

-- The opening ceremony of the Asian Games was an impressive display, having a wonderful presentation of culture, technology, modernity, and showing respect for the guests, said Faizan Lakhani, sports analyst and deputy editor of Sports at Geo News in Pakistan.

The use of modern technology to display electronic fireworks has cut the emission of carbon and also given new trends and messages to the world to tell them how modern technology can help us save our environment from carbon and other emissions, the expert noted.

The Pakistani squad was warmly welcomed by the Chinese crowd, which was an open display of love and brotherhood that the two nations have for each other, Lakhani noted.

Sports always play a vital role in connecting people in the world, said the expert, noting that players, officials, and management personnel are living in the sports village, and this atmosphere would help them connect and understand each other, and create harmony, and this get-together will give a message to players and people from Asian countries that we can develop and be happy together.

-- The Asian Games are an important platform for promoting unity among countries in Asia and strengthening cultural exchanges and mutual learning, Samir al-Musawi, head of the Iraqi delegation to Hangzhou, told Xinhua.

Delegations from 45 Asian countries and regions have gathered at the Hangzhou Asian Games Village, where they will spend over a dozen days together, exchanging ideas and cultures, and gaining insights into different customs, traditions, and languages, said the Iraqi expert.

The Asian Games create a positive atmosphere for enriching cultural exchanges among different countries and regions, undoubtedly greatly contributing to global cultural exchanges and mutual learning, he added.

Source: Xinhua

Editor: Tan Qikuan, Jin Yingzheng (Intern)