Remote bell sound opened the chapter Red Leaves of Fragrant Hill in the art performance at the closing ceremony of the Paralympic Games on Wednesday.
All lights came together to the changing bell sound and drew the outline of a green meadow, clean and clear.
On the meadow, small yellow flowers slowly came in bloom, forming both Chinese characters and English letters meaning A Letter to the Future.
Then colorful petals in the sky floated down from the rim of the National Stadium "Bird's Nest" like a waterfall until they gently fell down the athletes.
The red leaves, conveying a strong message of the autumn, mingled with all those petals and danced in the air.
The red leaves are supposed to show Beijing's respect and love to the athletes from the 147 delegations who are about to leave the Chinese capital.
The red leaves of Fragrant Hill is one of the most famous scenic spots.
When autumn arrives, about 100,000 red smoke trees in the Fragrant Hills Park in northwest Beijing demonstrate a dazzling natural beauty as fiery red leaves blanket the entire mountain. Every year, the landmark scene attracts a huge number of crowds to visit the park with over 800 years of history.
Amid the music, 500 performers, as "color painters", stood amongst the athletes. They held plates to catch falling red leaves for a long time. Then they gathered near the meadow graciously and elegantly, decorating a huge envelop around the meadow.
(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2008)