James A Paulsen,  from Iowa U.S.A,  Ph.D.

In the State of Iowa the opening ceremonies were not carried live, so I had to wait until 8:00 that evening to see it. But it worth the wait.

It is very difficult to come up with an adjective to describe the job China did with the opening ceremonies. Suffice it to say the Chinese have set a standard for opening ceremonies that will probably last the entire 21st century. The pyrotechnics were awesome even by Chinese standards. The smiling faces and number of the drummers was so impressive. The drums I understand were styled after those recently found in a Chinese tomb dating well over 2,000 years ago. The lights incorporated into the drums were so impressive.

And to discover the moving box letters were actually operated by young Chinese men was dumbfounding. The people walking on the globe during the singing was delightful and an excellent prelude to the 8th man with the torch running the circumference of the “birds nest” to ultimately light the torch. It is also my understanding the torch was not there 30 minutes before. It was indeed the crowning point of the opening ceremony.

My praise and kudos go the Chinese people and those who represented them in preparing for the Olympics.
 
To me the most unforgettable part of the opening ceremonies was that it just kept getting better and better. Each new phase continued to be as impressive at the preceding one. The way each segment told of the long and rich history of the Chinese people, and how it all tied together was certainly unforgettable. It would be negligent of me not to mention how the pace of the ceremonies made the event seem to be over as quickly as it started.
 
The most impressive story to me was the young boy that walked in the opening ceremonies with Yao Ming (sp). It was my understanding he was rescued from the earthquake and then went back to help save two of his classmates. When asked why he went back he responded “I am a class leader, it is my responsibility to go back and help.” It certainly was a touching story that indeed reflected the culture and unity of the Chinese people.

China is doing an excellent job representing their people. The entire country should be so proud of how they have been represented on this, their world stage.

（Liaoning-gateway.com）