Beijing, Feb 5 (IANS): The 34th Winter Olympic Games started here on Friday with a glittering ceremony at which Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the Games open and International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach thanked the "countless medical workers" because of whose efforts such events could be held despite the pandemic.

The Winter Games opening ceremony was divided into 15 segments, including the parade of athletes and the lighting of the Olympic flame.

As the ceremony started, the lights dimmed and a 24-second countdown followed.

The opening day of the 2022 Winter Olympics coincides with the "Beginning of Spring", which is the first of the 24 solar terms of the year. It is used to count down the last seconds before the ceremony, reflecting the Chinese people's understanding of time, reports Xinhua.

A pre-show presented by square dancers aged from five to over 70 years old has begun at the Bird's Nest Stadium.

The "Square Dance" is a creation of ordinary Chinese people and has become very popular. On public squares in large cities or small towns, people spontaneously gather together to joyfully sing and dance in their off-time.

This choreographed performance showcased the passion of the Chinese people in welcoming the Olympic Winter Games.

As an Olympic tradition, Greece, which hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, was the first team to start the parade of athletes into the Bird's Nest Stadium.

China, as hosts, marched in last; future Olympic Winter Games hosts Italy (Milano-Cortina 2026) entered the second-from-last under a change approved by the IOC Executive Board in December 2019.

Other than that, athletes entered in the stroke order of their team names as written in the Chinese characters, with Turkey following Greece.

The teams were led by a placard bearer dressed in costumes with ice and snow patterns. The placards, in the shape of a glowing snowflake with National/Regional Olympic Committee names on them, are inspired by the "Chinese knot," which is an ancient Chinese craft of hand knitting, symbolizing solidarity and prosperity.

While expressing his gratitude to China for organising the Winter Olympics as per schedule despite the Covid-19 pandemic, Bach said, "We all could only get here because of the countless medical workers, doctors, scientists, everybody in China and around the world who is going beyond the call of duty. Thank you for your outstanding efforts and solidarity."

He asked the athletes to grab their moment at the Winter Olympics.

"You have arrived here after overcoming so many challenges, living through great uncertainty. But now your moment has come: the moment you have been longing for – the moment we all have been longing for.

"Now –- your Olympic dream is coming true -– in magnificent venues, supported by hundreds of millions of new Chinese winter sports fans.

"Over the next two weeks, you will compete with each other for the highest prize. At the same time, you will live peacefully together under one roof in the Olympic Village.

"There – there will be no discrimination for any reason whatsoever," Bach said.

The ceremony ended with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.