Fireworks during the opening ceremony of the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, in the Chinese province of Sichuan (Southwest), August 7, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Yichen)
From the opening ceremony which merged the cultural heritage and modern shows to the rich flavors of Sichuan cuisine, the 2025 world games in Chengdu bring peoples around the world.
One of the most dazzling moments of the Thursday’s opening ceremony was the fireworks representing a “friendship tree”, inspired by the old roots of trees uncovered on the neighboring site of Jinsha and by the Colombes tree from Sichuan. This tree symbolizes peace, progress and friendship.
The ceremony took place on the 430 meter long “Tianfu roof”, the largest wooden structure in Asia. “This roof reminds us of our house, which protects us from rain and storms. We mean our guests from around the world that we are a family under one roof,” said Hu Xiao, the director general of the opening ceremony.
The Croatian archère Amanda Mlinaric, who praised the fireworks as being “the best” she has ever seen, said that this ceremony had left her a deep impression. “I think it’s really worthy of the Olympic games and not just world games,” she said.
The Czech athlete of Wushu Jan Hoffmann was also impressed by the ignition of the Olympic basin, during which two nautical skiers surfed on the wake of a boat making waves to light a basin designed as a water -shaped beak rising from the lake.
“It’s really crazy,” he exclaimed. “This is something that I had never seen before.”
Under the theme “Unlimited Sports, Innumerable Wonders”, the 2025 World Games in Chengdu not only offer fierce competitions, but also a multitude of cultural experiences: Chinese courses, Sichuan Opera Masks Change, Calligraphy and Shu brocading workshops, visits to local monuments, etc.
“I love the pandas, they are too cute!”, Said to Xinhua Meeri-Marita Paas, an Estonian archère, during a visit Friday of the Research Center on the breeding of the Giant Panda of Chengdu. Seeing pandas “was definitely on the list of what I wanted to do most in Chengdu,” added this fan of the famous Panda Hua Hua.
The athlete, who celebrated his 24th birthday on the day of the opening ceremony, also planned to taste the famous spicy cuisine of Chengdu and explore the Sichuan after its tests. “I trained in spicy cuisine and I am curious to taste it after my competition,” she said, also promising to visit some sites like the giant Buddha of Leshan and Mont Emei.
