The 2008 Summer Olympics closing ceremony was held at the Beijing National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest. It was directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou and began at 8:00 pm China Standard Time (UTC+8) on August 24, 2008. The number 8 is associated with prosperity and confidence in Chinese culture.
- The musical acts included
- Spanish opera singer Plácido Domingo and Chinese singer Song Zuying singing The Flame of Love (lyrics by Chinese writers Song Xiaoming and Yuan Yuan)
- Chinese mainland singer Wei Wei and Sun Nan singing Beijing Beijing (wo ai Beijing).
- British singer Leona Lewis, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page (with football player David Beckham making an appearance), Elspeth Hanson as the violinist and Kwesi Edman as the cellist.
- Hong Kong singers Andy Lau, Emil Chau, Jackie Chan, Karen Mok, Kelly Chen, Joey Yung and Nicolas Tse.
- Taiwanese American singer Wang Lee Hom, Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun and South Korean entertainer Rain.
- Han Hong
- Legendary German film composer Klaus Badelt wrote the music for the closing ceremonies.
The Ceremony also included the handover of the games from Beijing to London. Guo Jinlong, the Mayor of Beijing, handed over the Olympic flag to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. There was also a performance organized by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG). Lighting Designer Durham Marenghi illuminated the handover in Beijing, with lighting programmed by Tim Routledge (who was in fact hidden in the London Bus)
While the opening ceremony was described as an artistic and serious introduction of China's ancient past, the closing ceremony was described by Western media as "much more lighthearted", "silly" and "fun" than the opening ceremony.
By the end of the 16 days of NBC's coverage of the Beijing Olympics in the United States, it had also become the most-watched U.S. television event of all time, with over 211 million American viewers tuned into the Olympics on NBC according to the Nielsen Media Research; this is 2 million more than the 1996 Atlanta Games, the previous all-time record-holder.
Read more about 2008 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony: Television, See Also
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