Crowds enjoy the dazzling light shows and nighttime atmosphere of Harbin, as visitors flock to the Heilongjiang provincial capital to experience its winter charm. PHOTO BY XINHUA

"The entire opening ceremony venue will be built into an innovative 'reception room' for guests across Asia," said Leng.

"We are striving to extend our imagination and the host's generosity beyond the limit of the performing space," he said.

Nearly 1,000 performers involved in the opening ceremony — who are mainly local college students — have been training and rehearsing for the show for over two months, according to producer Wu.