Sea, sky, city frame National Games' grand finale

China’s 15th National Games concluded Friday night with a ceremony at the Happy Theater at OH Bay in Bao’an District, marking the first time the event’s finale was held in an open-air coastal setting rather than a conventional stadium.

The flag handover ceremony of the National Games is held during the closing ceremony in Shenzhen on Friday. Photos by Xinhua

A lively pre-show warmed up the audience before the main event. Young people and students from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area presented energetic performances featuring singing, dancing, roller-skating stunts, breakdancing battles, fencing duels, and rhythmic jump rope.

Performers deliver a dazzling synchronized water dance on a floating stage, set against Shenzhen’s Qianhai skyline during the closing ceremony of the 15th National Games of China.

The ceremony, which began at 8 p.m., featured a stage set against the backdrop of Shenzhen’s Qianhai skyline and the sea — a deliberate design choice by chief director Shen Chen to create “a natural landscape where the sea meets the sky.”

When the stage lights came up, they played off Qianhai’s urban nightscape and the glittering water, presenting a magnificent picture of the bay area.

A vibrant cultural performance unfolds before a projected façade of iconic architecture, blending tradition and technology on the waterfront stage in Shenzhen during the closing ceremony.

Centered on the image of “a blank sheet of paper,” the stage used visual effects to make it appear as if it “had emerged from the water,” a poetic tribute to the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone’s 45-year journey of “creating brilliance from a blank canvas.”

A highlight was the flame-extinguishing ceremony. Fifteen cellists, symbolizing the 15th edition of the Games, were positioned on hydraulic platforms ranging from 0.3 to 8 meters in height over the water. As the melody played and the cellist at the highest point finished, the final light dimmed.

An orchestra performs on a floating stage set over the water, creating a dramatic visual centerpiece during the closing ceremony in Shenzhen.

Technology served as a core element of the closing ceremony. The “blank paper” stage itself was a technological product, integrated with numerous lifting platforms and panels that allowed for dynamic performances. Achieving a “smooth paper-rolling effect on the sea surface” was an unprecedented technical breakthrough.

The flame was extinguished following the lowering of the Games flag. As the closing ceremony’s theme song faded and the last cellist’s light went out, the main cauldron in Guangzhou dimmed synchronously on the large screen.

The main cauldron at the Guangdong Olympic Center in Guangzhou dims, bringing the curtain down on the 15th National Games of China.

Divided into segments including the sports ceremony and cultural performances, the event featured actors from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, showcasing the region’s diverse culture and strengthening a sense of belonging.

The cultural show comprised six parts that reflected Shenzhen’s traits of reform, openness, innovation, youth, and vitality.

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