The opening ceremony of China's 15th National Games on Sunday featured a "torch of technology", marking the first-ever non-fire main cauldron in the event's history.
Upholding a low-carbon philosophy, the cauldron was powered by green electricity generated from advanced photovoltaic systems, combined with a precision mist and lighting control system that realistically mimicked the flicker, brightness and motion of a real flame.
A month earlier, China's self-developed 4,500-meter deep-sea remotely operated vehicle collected combustible ice in the Haima Cold Seep area of the South China Sea at a depth of 1,522 meters. The ice was directly decomposed into natural gas on the seabed, providing a clean gas source for the main cauldron.
Then, solar panels on the research vessel generated clean power, which was transmitted through special cables to the seabed, successfully igniting the "fire in ice."
"Since the flame was sourced from the seabed, we designed a scene where the ocean opens the way for us. The torchbearers ran across the waves on a water stage as if they were emerging from the sea to light our main cauldron," said Wang Ruixiang, chief producer of the opening ceremony.
"This time, we didn't use traditional gas flames for the cauldron. Instead, we used electricity and lighting. We call it the 'torch of technology,'" Wang added.
The 15th National Games, hosted for the first time across Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region, opened on Sunday evening with a ceremony highlighting cultural heritage and technological innovation.
Running from Nov 9 to 21, this edition features 34 sports and 419 events in the competitive program, as well as 23 sports and 166 events in the mass participation program.
Flame-free cauldron lights up opening of China’s 15th National Games
