16th Asian Games , Guangzhou China

     The firework display lit up the sky above the Pearl River in Guangzhou.

Just as Beijing did before the 2008 Olympics, Guangzhou has poured billions of dollars into getting this sprawling southern metropolis ,Guangzhou ready.The event's official website reported that Guangdong Province built and updated 70 stadiums for the competition.And finally on Friday,China rekindled memories of the 2008 Olympics with a spectacular opening ceremony for the 16th Asian Games !

China, which won a leading 166 golds at the previous competition in Qatar four years ago, has a delegation of 1,454 members including Olympic champion hurdler 110-meter hurdler Liu Xiang and badminton star Lin Dan.

Famous film starlet Zhang Ziyi and world-renowned pianist Lang Lang performed together in one of the highlights of a show that celebrated Guangzhou's history as China's gateway to the ancient Maritime Silk Road.

The Games will run until November 27, with hosts China heavily favoured to top the medal table, and South Korea and Japan battling for second place.The competition proper kicks off on Saturday when 28 gold medals will be won.

The art performance of the Opening Ceremony at the 16th Asian Games at the Haixinsha Island in Guangzhou, China, Nov 12, 2010.