Paris 2024: Amid backlash over ‘wokeism’, why old video of Beijing 2008 opening ceremony is going viral

Held on August 8, 2008, Beijing Olympics opening ceremony was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou.

2008 Beijing Olympics opening ceremony (Image source: @Rainmaker1973/X)

Paris Olympics 2024 kick-started on July 26 with a four-hour-long opening ceremony. However, the parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper did not sit well with social media, which labelled it as the ‘worst ever’. Amid the ongoing backlash, an old video of the 2008 Bejing Olympics opening ceremony emerged on social media.

Held on August 8, 2008, the opening ceremony was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, assisted by choreographers Zhang Jigang and Chen Weiya. The ceremony had two parts—Brilliant civilisation and Glorious Era. While the first part highlighted the Chinese civilisation, the second part was all about modern China. In 2014, the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony and Zhang Yimou collectively received a Peabody Award for the “unforgettable” celebration.

Watch here:

2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremonypic.twitter.com/QEjpe07NTJ

— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) July 26, 2024

Shared on July 26, the old video is being hailed by social media users. Reacting to it, a user wrote, “The best opening ceremony so far.” Another user commented, “China had the best opening ceremonies.”

“This was unmatched. Olympics fell off since then. Michael Phelps won a record of gold medals. Usain Bolt was announced to the world. It was spectacular,” a third user reacted. “this was the peak of ceremonies for the olympics,” another user wrote.

Also Read | Paris 2024: Internet slam Paris Olympics for ‘woke’ Last Supper parody in Opening Ceremony

The 2024 Paris Olympics is hogging headlines for all the wrong reasons. The event was marred by mistakes with country names, issues with raising the Olympic flag, and odd moments like a headless Marie Antoinette, the infamous Queen of France who was executed in 1793, singing.

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