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It feels as though we’ve been talking about this moment for months, but the opening ceremony for the National Games is finally here and Sunday promises to be a celebration to remember.
Organisers have been teasing an event they say will blend cutting-edge technology and the rich cultural heritage of southern China’s Lingnan culture, and if you’re curious how a dragon-boat race fits into the performance at Guangdong Olympic Sports Centre, you’re not the only one.
But it’s not as though the action hasn’t already started, and on Sunday Ceci Lee Sze-wing grabbed Hong Kong’s second gold medal of the Games, successfully defending the women’s road race title she won in Shaanxi four years ago.
The city’s men, meanwhile, have put handball into public consciousness with a spirited run that was ended by Anhui only in the semi-finals on Saturday.
There is plenty more to come over the next two weeks, with Cheung Ka-long, Siobhan Haughey and Coleman Wong Chak-lam all carrying the weight of the city’s expectations on their shoulders.
Tonight though is all about the pomp and circumstance of an opening ceremony that is sure to be full of surprises. Follow us for live coverage, as it happens in Guangzhou.
More from our coverage:
–What to know about the National Games, where some of world’s best come to play
–Powerhouse provinces: a rundown on the teams that dominate at National Games
–National Games: the Hong Kong records that could fall at the athletics, swimming
Reporting by Lars Hamer, Wynna Wong, Harvey Kong, Angeline Jiang and Zhao Ziwen.