Sand is stage for Sports Games opening

Performers rehearse for the opening ceremony. [Photos provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The sixth Sports Games of Hainan, to be held in Danzhou, Hainan province, from Dec 3 to 14, will be the first provincial sports event in China to have a beach as the main venue for its opening ceremony.

The ceremony, set for Saturday evening, is planned for about 90 minutes and will highlight characteristics of the tropical island under the theme "This sea is more open".

It aims to showcase the province's open features and distinctive local culture, including the integrated development of Danzhou city and the Yangpu Economic Development Zone, part of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the sporting spirit of unity, endurance and public participation, the event organizing committee said.

Hainan's typical elements — swaying coconut trees, clear waters and white-sand beaches — will be incorporated into the opening ceremony performance. Sand will be used as a pioneering element of its dance aesthetics and will help present the colorful beach lifestyle.

Using the beach as a stage is the unifying element of the entire opening ceremony. All performances will take place on the sand. To meet the requirements of the production team, the beach stage covers an area of 7,700 square meters. It took more than 40 workers three days and 600 tons of sand to construct the unprecedented platform.

Ten centimeters of sand form the stage for the opening ceremony of the sixth Sports Games of Hainan. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Building a beach stage is much more than laying sand. To ensure actors' smooth movements, while presenting the most natural performance effects showcasing the soft and delicate feel of the beach, the stage design and production teams conducted many tests and settled on a sand thickness of 10 centimeters.

The opening ceremony will take place at the Danzhou Sports Center. After the event, the venue will continue to host sports events and activities.