Spectacular show brings games to close

The closing ceremony of the Chengdu FISU World University Games on Tuesday night infused two key aspects of the city into the show — its beauty as a city overflowing with parks and green spaces, and its vibrancy as an international music metropolis, the ceremony's director said.

As a lively celebration of youth, the closing ceremony of the Chengdu games was held not in a stadium, but in a park. Resembling a jubilant carnival, the grand finale overflowed with fond farewells and optimism for the future.

Held at the Chengdu Open Air Music Park, the event was a spectacular and original celebration, with people and touching stories as its focus.

"The stage design represents the distinctive features of a park city, while its content interprets the essence of an international music metropolis," said Jia Ding, the director for the closing ceremony.

The utilization of technologies such as naked-eye 3D and robots stood out as a highlight of the event.

Jia, who was also the director for the closing ceremony of the Beijing FISU World University Games in 2001, said the application of cutting-edge technology was in stark contrast to the closing ceremony over two decades ago.

The technology facilitated the realization of bold imagination and provided the audience with a thoroughly immersive visual and auditory experience, he said.

Throughout the closing ceremony, live performances conveyed the profound impact of music and also portrayed the exchange of emotions and connections between people, he said.

"We transformed the entire music park into a warm and inviting campfire setting," said Wei Sijia, executive director of the closing ceremony.

Using smartphones as a central element, the closing ceremony was also livestreamed online.

"Since it's a grand event for young people, the elements of expression must undoubtedly align with the current lives of young people. For today's young generation, smartphones enable limitless communication and virtually connect any location worldwide," Wei explained.

"Among the various performance spaces, the most unique aspect is the limitless outdoor scenery," Wei said. "When you gaze into the distance, Chengdu exudes a sense of tranquillity and romance, thanks to the lush green lawns, towering canopy, colorful tents and people of all ages sitting together on the ground."

Themed "Dreams: Lighting Up the Future", the gala performance presented a grand musical show of original songs and dances, with livestreaming and interaction with the audience.

Chief music designer of the event, He Qi, composed the music with a unique fusion of tradition and modernity, of Chinese and Western styles.

The music blended renowned Western melodies with local art forms such as folk songs and Sichuan Opera. During the performance, the crowd was mesmerized with live concertos featuring a diverse range of percussion, electronic music and laser-light shows.