The Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center

QINGDAO, East China -- Qingdao, the venue for the sailing events of this summer's Olympic Games, plans to hold an opening ceremony in the sea.

"We want to hold a special opening ceremony for the Olympics sailing competition," said Zang Aimin, deputy mayor of Qingdao, a coastal city in East China's Shandong Province.

Zang told reporters that the organizers would take measures to prevent bad weather from spoiling the ceremony.

The 2008 Olympic Games will open in Beijing on August 8 and run to August 24.