Zhang Yimou to be Games top director

Zhang Yimou, who directed the sensational opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, has been confirmed as the chief director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

With less than one month to go before the Winter Olympics gets underway, the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee named the core planning team for the ceremonies on Friday.

Zhang, 71, will lead a crew of high-profile consultants in designing the opening ceremony extravaganza, set for Feb 4.

Zhang also masterminded the Beijing 2022 handover portion of the PyeongChang Olympics closing ceremony in 2018 and the Beijing 2008 handover portion of the Athens Olympics closing ceremony in 2004.

Xinhua