An around-50-minute art performance of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Paralympic Games unfolded a touching journey into the world of the disabled community Saturday night at the National Satdium in north Beijing.

Firework, music, flashlight, and superb performance staged by more than 4,500 performers, among them about 420 are disabled, created a dreamy night for the 100,000 or so spectators.

The performance, entitled "Flying with the Dream", tried to create an atmosphere of "dream, grace, warmth and happiness," interpret the idea that "all life has value, all life has dignity, all life has dream" as well as promote harmony among "sky, earth and human beings".

The show, comprised of three chapters -- "Journey of Space", "Journey of Time" and "Journey of Life", had a sensational start when blind singer Yang Haitao sang in soft voice and told a sunbird, a symbol of light and warmth, about his utmost wish: "if I could see for only three days, the people I want to see most are my Mom, my Dad and all of you."

During his dialogue with the sunbird, the singer unveiled his mental journey to the belief that "there are dreams in life" and spoke about the good wishes in his heart -- to look for, discover and feel the truth of life from the mysterious vast ocean, land and sky.

"Hello, Stars" added to the show another warm and moving touch when, underneath the star-studded sky, a trumpeter quietly plays the music of "Hello, Stars" and more than 300 deaf girls, dressed in white gown, communicated their inner feelings to the stars with sign language, manifesting the wonderful state of unity of man and nature.

In the second chapter "Journey of Time", Li Yue, a 11-year-old girl who used to study ballet but lost her left leg in the devastating earthquake in China's Sichuan province, might have recalled the nation's painful memory of the quake.

But Li, on the central stage of the stadium, was not a symbol of the country's painful memory but the symbol of those in the quake-stricken province who never gave up their dream. The girl performed her never-ending dance in wheelchair with her hands, a scene bringing tears to eyes of many spectators.

The ending chapter "Journey of Life" stroke an optimistic tone when a blind pianist played against the backdrop of picturesque changing seasons, featured by peach flowers, lotus flowers and golden wheat field.

With 750 pairs of nimble hands, 750 performers displayed a spectacular scene of a group of flying petrels, swans and birds above the blue sea surface, echoing the theme "fly with the dream".

(Xinhua News Agency September 6, 2008)