Beijing Olympics officially underway as opening ceremony kicks off

The Beijing Winter Olympics is officially underway as the opening ceremony kicked off on Friday.

The show began once Chinese President Xi Jinping and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach took their seats, The Associated Press reported. 

Performers bowed towards Xi while individuals walked by the country’s flag, with China parading different ethnicities of citizens to attempt to present a united front in the country.

The ceremony was also used to celebrate the recent Chinese New Year, with 2022 being the Year of the Tiger, according to the AP.

The Parade of Nations saw a children’s choir in tiger-head shoes, while placard bearers for all the countries wore a tiger-head hat. 

Fireworks, with some spelling out “Spring,” went off during the opening ceremony.

With the start of the ceremony, China became the first country to host the summer and Winter Games. 

Controversy has surrounded the Winter Olympics this year due to COVID-19 and China’s record of human rights abuses. 

Very limited spectators are allowed at the Games due to the virus, with athletes confined to certain areas of the country to limit the chances of a COVID-19 outbreak. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is one of the highest profile political figures at the Games as some Western countries are holding a diplomatic boycott due to China’s human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims and the Tibetan people.