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Spectacular Beijing Olympics opening, by the numbers
Xinhua
Updated: 2008-08-09 18:57
On Friday night, the 2008 Olympics opening ceremony gave the world a spectacular visual feast. The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the 29th Olympiad (BOCOG) held a press conference here on Saturday, where it released statistics about the event.
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Fireworks explode over the National Stadium, better know as the Bird's Nest. The 2008 Summer Games opened in Beijing and will run until from August 24. [Xinhua]
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50 In minutes, the time it took to send all the athletes present back to the Olympic Village after the ceremony.
10,000 The number of raincoats prepared for the athletes in case of rain. BOCOG said there were two possibilities of rain on Friday, before and during the ceremony. BOCOG's deputy director, Wang Ning, hailed work by the Beijing Meteorological Bureau, which performed cloud-dispersal operations. He also suggested, tongue-in-cheek, that the spectacular ceremony might have scared away the clouds.
160,000 The audience in the Bird's Nest, or National Stadium.
75 In minutes, the time it took for the audience to leave after the ceremony, which was 15 minutes less than expected.
600,000 The number of staff from Beijing's traffic branch working on transport lines on Friday. There were eight subway lines open around the clock and 28 buses running direct to the National Stadium.
81,000 The number of traffic volunteers keeping transport running smoothly.
33,866 The number of fireworks lit in the ceremony.
22,000 The number of performers and advisors for the ceremony.
170 The height, in centimeters, required for the martial arts performers.
