London performance follows Beijing tradition

The photo taken on August 24, 2008 shows a red double-decker bus during the eight-minute performance prepared by London. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

(BEIJING, August 24) -- At the Closing Ceremony of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, the Beijing handover performance lasted 8 minutes. Four years later, at the Closing Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, London took the opportunity to stage an 8-minute performance to extend an invitation to the London 2012 Games to the world.

Few people know that the 8-minute pattern is a Chinese invention. For a handover performance at the Closing Ceremony of the Olympic Games, the IOC does not stipulate a time limit. It could be 3 minutes, 5 minutes or even 9 minutes in length. Zhang Yimou told us that the length of the next host country's performance is a practice based on custom. No one had an 8-minute performance before Beijing. Athens gave Beijing 5 minutes in the Closing Ceremony at first, and only after repeated requests from BOCOG was the time limit extended to 8 minutes.

Football star David Beckham kicks a football during the Closing Ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the National Stadium on August 24, 2008. (Photo credit: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

At the Closing Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, BOCOG gave London 8 minutes. London 2012 organizers have not asked for more time. Zhang Yimou reckons that the 8-minute performance will become an established convention through these two Olympic Games.

The Athens Organizing Committee had a simple display at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, a ritualistic handover of the Olympic Flag attended by a dozen priestesses. Starting with the Beijing Olympic Games, the host city has put more emphasis on giving the world a glimpse of the next Olympic Games.

Zhang Yimou thinks London's Closing Ceremony performance was a remarkable creation. Instead of relying on the host to offer a stage, London used a "double-decker" red bus, a typical vehicle of public transport in London, as the stage for their performance. On top of this moving stage, the appearance of L.A. Galaxy star David Beckham no doubt attracted the attention of the world-wide audience.

As a rule, the host Organizing Committee will not interfere with the next Organizing Committee's decision about the performance length. BOCOG designates the performance length, in this case 8 minutes, and then it is the next host country's turn to display their own culture, Zhang Yimou said.