The opening ceremony of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon on the evening of September 19 portrayed the Asian continent as it united under one roof. Characteristics of each country, including their national flowers, were introduced. Later in the ceremony, a ship emerged onto the stage and performances took place on and around the ship. The "Asia as one" ceremony emphasized the way in which a single continent can be divided into 45 participating countries and territories, can fall into deep despair at some times, but then can become united again, to become a family, through the Asian Games.

The ceremony highlighted the past and future of Incheon. For the event, state-of-the art visual effects involving 27,000 LEDs installed on the stands, and holograms, were employed. Some 2,700 people participated in the ceremony, which continued for four hours from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The one-and-a-half-hour pre-ceremony featured a concert by pop group EXO and the two-part main performance started at 7:30 p.m. and finished at 10:00 p.m.




"I wanted to express Korea's humbleness," said Lim Kwon-Taek, the movie director in charge of the ceremony. "Unlike previous international sporting event opening ceremonies which focused on flaunting the host's national power, I wanted to include everyone so that nobody feels left out and to create harmony."

"The Asian Games is not a festival dedicated to a single host country, but it is a festival of all Asians who can enjoy and sympathize with each other," Lim said. "Incheon is the place where the story of the filial daughter, Simcheong, was born. We created a ceremony that is welcoming and affectionate, just like the inclusive spirit of the city, which has embraced a diverse range of people throughout the ages."

Artistic director of the ceremony, Jang Jin, made use of two ancient tales. One concerns Prince Biryu, from the legend of the founding of the Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D. 660). The other is the story of the devoted daughter, Simcheong, who sacrificed herself for her father by jumping into the sea and was later reincarnated as a lotus flower.

During the ceremony, Jang went even further by imagining Prince Biryu and Simcheong falling in love with each other. Jang had Prince Biryu and Simcheong exchange letters, delivering messages of love, which then led to the development of the modern postal system. The two also always longed to meet each other, and this resulted in the emergence of the telephone and railroad systems.




Jang outlined the history of the port city of Incheon based on the story of the daughter Simcheong, narrated with dance and video images. He also portrayed how "Asia as one" can come to Incheon and he recreated major scenes from the tale of Simcheong on stage.

"I imaged that all Asians would become united as a family in our future, which we have dreamed of, and so we created a fun and loving story," said Jang. "Incheon, geographically, is supposed to lead the future of Asia. By featuring old tales such as the story of Simcheong, I wanted to show how civilization developed in Incheon and help lead the city into the future."

By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
jun2@korea.kr