* Paris embraced its first Summer Olympics in a century with an opening ceremony on the River Seine.

* Apart from its elite athletes, China's presence is palpable away from the arena - from the Olympic merchandise to the gear used by international delegations.

* At a time when the world order is deeply troubling, the Paris 2024 Games underline the Olympic values of solidarity, equality and human dignity.

by sportswriter He Leijing

PARIS, July 26 (Xinhua) -- After a century-long wait, Paris welcomes back the Olympic Games with a splashy and "Seine-sational" opening ceremony, making itself a truly moveable feast.

French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open before the waterborne ceremony reached its climax when Teddy Riner and Marie-Jose Perec lit the cauldron with the Olympic flame.

The iconic River Seine glistened with cheers and shouts around 7:30pm when the audacious Paris Olympics opening ceremony, featuring global sports stars parading on a flotilla, was finally brought on stream.

The French capital, dubbed by Ernest Hemingway as "a moveable feast," was in full flow, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the city's previous Olympic Games and the last edition under the presidency of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics.

"One hundred years on, the Games are back in our country. And for us, it's a historic opportunity to reinterpret the great hallmarks of the Games to show the world the best of France: its boldness, creativity, avant-garde spirit, and openness," said Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet.

For the first time in Olympic history, the opening ceremony took place outside the host city's main athletics stadium. From the Austerlitz Bridge to the Trocadero, around 6,800 athletes, assembled behind their flagbearers, cruised down a 6km stretch of the Seine on 85 boats.

Despite rainy conditions, the parade allowed athletes to bask in the beauty of Paris' most famed monuments, including the Louvre, Place de la Concorde, the Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower, with some hosting the opening ceremony's musical performances.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined the Seine's banks to catch a glimpse of the athletes and revel in the festive atmosphere, while many more in Paris immersed themselves in the gala on 71 giant screens, embodying the slogan "Games wide open."

A number of Parisian landmarks have been transformed into venues for an unprecedented fusion of sports and heritage, welcoming people from all over the world to an open-air sports arena during the fortnight of competition.

CHINA'S FOOTPRINTS

The Paris Olympics are set to host over 10,000 athletes from around the globe competing in 329 events across 32 sports, with the notable addition of breakdancing - known as breaking at Paris 2024.

As well as the 100th anniversary of Paris last staging the Olympic Games, this year also marks the 40th anniversary of China's breakthrough Olympic gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France.

China has sent a big team of 405 athletes to Paris. While its prowess in sports like athletics and team ball sports will face stern tests, the country is expected to shine in its traditionally strong events such as table tennis, badminton and diving.

Young Chinese athletes are also seeking to capture global attention, with medals in emerging Olympic sports such as breakdancing, sport climbing, skateboarding and surfing.

Beyond the competitions, cultural exchanges between China and the world are also highlighted at the Paris Olympics. The newly-opened China House, operated by the Chinese Olympic Committee, serves as a platform to promote Chinese culture and enhance international exchanges, functioning as a reception hall for sports diplomacy.

"It is both a platform to showcase the rich tradition of Chinese sporting culture and a bridge for fostering international friendship and promoting cultural exchange," said Yu Jianyong, deputy secretary general of the Chinese Olympic Committee.

Featuring interactive installations and various cultural activities including Chinese tea ceremonies, calligraphy and traditional music performances, the facility allows visitors to appreciate Chinese culture.

"It will interact with various sectors of French society and organize activities for Chinese and French athletes to further advance Sino-French friendship," Yu said.

Apart from its elite athletes, China's presence is also palpable away from the arena - from the Olympic merchandise to volunteers and even the gear used by international delegations.

For instance, Dingqi, an official football supplier for the Paris Olympics based in the eastern Chinese city of Huai'an, has embedded chips in the balls capable of making 500 identification actions per second. The sensors, combined with body-tracking technology, can assist in detecting handballs and offsides, improving the accuracy of refereeing decisions.

Chinese companies like Alibaba and Mengniu have also made a contribution as IOC TOP partners. Alibaba is leveraging artificial intelligence and cloud technology to support the broadcasting of the Games, helping drive the digital transformation of the Olympics.

"Our mission is to leverage technology, especially technology on cloud computing and e-commerce platforms, to enhance the experience of spectators and fans, as well as to present the Games in an innovative way in the digital era," said Chris Tung, president of the strategic development department at Alibaba.

UNITING THE WORLD

The Olympics have always been more than just a competition; they are a unique opportunity to unite the world. The Paris Olympics epitomize this ideal.

At a time when the world order is deeply troubling, the Olympic values of solidarity, equality and human dignity for all have never been more important, said IOC President Thomas Bach ahead of the opening ceremony.

"Billions of people from all around the world are looking forward to Paris 2024. At a time when the world is torn apart by so much conflict and division, people everywhere are fed up with all the hate, wars, aggression, and fake news," he said.

Boxer Cindy Ngamba and taekwondo athlete Yahya Al-Ghotany led the Refugee Olympic Team as flagbearers. The team comprises 37 athletes from different backgrounds, residing in 15 countries and competing in 12 different sports.

Participating for the third consecutive Olympic Games, the Refugee Team for Paris 2024 is the largest yet, reflecting the growing number of refugees globally. In Paris, they represent over 100 million displaced individuals who have been forced to flee their homes due to escalating conflict, war and persecution.

"I am very grateful to the IOC for this special opportunity. My biggest hope is that, at this year's Olympic Games, we can make people stand up and pay attention. Show them what refugees are capable of, because we have some big ambitions," said Ngamba, who lives and trains in the United Kingdom.

And the Olympics are not merely a sporting event but a cultural convergence. Dozens of artworks created by Olympian artists, including oil paintings, paper cuts, sculptures and a quilt made of recycled fabric, were unveiled to an international audience before the opening ceremony.

American rower Grace Latz exhibited a quilt featuring the Olympic emblem made with repurposed sports clothing scraps. "Quilts are a community effort to honor big events that are both personal and shared," Latz explained.

"When scraps of fabric are assembled, they transform into celebratory, healing, comforting, unifying, and expressive works of art that carry many layers of meaning and emotion. The work symbolizes effort, unity, and collaboration," she added.

The Olympic Movement has surely evolved in ways Pierre de Coubertin could never have anticipated, and yet it has preserved the values of friendship, excellence, and respect that he embedded in Olympism, and it has clung to the essential mission he set forth: to unite the world in friendship and peace through sport.

Four days before the opening ceremony, hundreds of athletes gathered for a solemn moment in the Olympic Village. Donning scarves emblazoned with "Give peace a chance" and holding flags with the same message, they underscored the powerful role sport plays in fostering peace and mutual understanding.

"When our founder, Pierre de Coubertin, revived the Olympic Games 130 years ago - right here in Paris - he saw it as a way to promote peace among all nations and people of the world. He was a true ambassador for peace. Today, you - the Olympic athletes - you are the peace ambassadors of our time," Bach addressed the athletes.

"This is our Olympic answer to all the forces that want to divide us: our values matter. It is only by living our Olympic values - the values of solidarity, equality, and human dignity for all - that we can manage to bring the entire world together in peace," he said.  ■