Opening ceremony of the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, on Sep.22, 1990. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

By TANG Zhexiao

From 1990 to 2023, three Asian Games have been hosted by China, marking memorable moments in the development of Chinese sports. This included reflecting changes and development in the country, and the giant leaps made in science and technology over the past 33 years.

As an important part of large-scale sports events, the torch relay attracts wide attention. It embodies the characteristics of different countries and regions, records the changes of the times, and is a mirror of progress in sports, technology and culture.

The 11th Asian Games, which was opened on September 22, 1990 in Beijing, was the first large-scale international sports event to be held in China. At the foot of the Nyainqentanglha mountain in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, a 15-year-old Tibetan girl, lit the torch flame with a solar lighter.

At the opening ceremony of the 16th Asian Games held in Guangzhou in 2010, China's dragon boat team leader Wu Guochong,  one the last five torchbearers, emerged from the Pearl River and ran onto the stage. Finally, Chinese world champion diver He Chong lit cauldron flame was by a big firecracker, which is full of Chinese characteristics.

Opening ceremony of the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, on Nov.12, 2010. (PHOTO: VCG)

Thirty-three years later, the 19th Asian Games officially opened on September 23, 2023, with a high-tech opening ceremony that wowed the world. An innovative and impressive highlight began with a giant digital torchbearer made up of over 100 million virtual sparks, each representing a participant of the online torch relay , running through the streets of Hangzhou before entering the stadium to light the cauldron alongside Tokyo 2020 Olympic swimming champion Wang Shun.

Like the athletes, technology has also got faster. At the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, it took 15 minutes from printing out the competition results to releasing them at the press center. At the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, it only took less than 10 seconds from the time the official result was determined to it being announced on the official Asian Games website.

A giant digital torchbearer lights the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. (PHOTO: VCG)

Today’s Hangzhou, which opened on September 23, featured a host of cutting-edge technology.Using a 5G network, it is possible to transmit high-definition sports game images in real time with high speed and low latency.

Blending the realms of artificial intelligence and eco-friendly technology, the Hangzhou Asian Games kicked off with a truly unique opening ceremony, according to the Times of India.

From green sporting venues equipped with wind, photovoltaic and other clean energy sources to technological applications including driverless buses and digital torchbearers and fireworks, eco-friendly and green technology is a highlight of the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.

Thirty three years on, high-tech has integrated sports events with people. From Beijing to Guangzhou, and then to Hangzhou, we have witnessed and participated in the three Asian Games hosted by China, according to Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, vice-president of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong and head of Hong Kong delegation, who added that it is the Asian Games that make the world understand different periods of China.