ROCKVILLE, United States: A group of Chinese gathered in a restaurant here on Friday to watch a delayed broadcast of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

Decorated with banners and stickers, the eatery was the next best thing to a seat at the Bird's Nest for the patriotic group, as they watched the historic event unfold on TV. And as the national anthem played and the Chinese flag was hoisted, the revelers sprang to their feet and cheered.

When asked for his impression of the ceremony, Zhou Shimin said: "Surprise."

Overseas Chinese wave Chinese and Spanish flags in Madrid to celebrate the opeing ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on August 8 2008. [China Daily]

The ceremony was beyond his expectations, even though he had read up about it before it began, he said.

"I was amazed at how they used modern technology to show 5,000 years of Chinese culture," he said.

"It was so creative and I believe China will really impress the world with the new face it presented at the opening ceremony."

The group was unable to watch the event live, as US broadcaster NBC wanted to hold it until more local people would be able to watch. Due to the time differences, it was therefore delayed for 12 hours.

Not that was a problem for the excited restaurant-goers.

Chen, who gave only her surname, said she was impressed with the grand and splendid scenes, and the commitment of all the performers.

"Some of the people involved have been practicing for the past three years," she said.

"I really appreciate their commitment to an event that lasted only four hours."

Local man Ercu Gorgul, who was also at the restaurant, said: "Everything was so good; it was amazing."

He said he had no problems following the story and was particularly impressed with the human calligraphy part of the show.

Gorgul said he had to leave before the end of the ceremony, but was not too upset, as he was heading to the airport to catch a flight to Beijing, where he will watch the Games in person.

"It will be my first visit to China and I'm so excited," he said, adding that he bought his tickets online last year.

Li Yeqing, president of the Beijing University Alumni Association in Washington DC, which organized the gathering, said the Beijing Olympics means a lot to Chinese people all over the world.

"Although we were not in China to experience the historical event live, being together here to watch the opening ceremony was a really special way to share the joy and pride with all the people back home," he said.