The Beijing Winter Olympics came to an end on Sunday, capping up a Games that will be remembered as much for their coronavirus restrictions and geopolitical tensions as they will for their nail-biting contests and emotional moments.
The closing ceremony began with youngsters dancing while carrying snowflake-shaped lanterns and culminated with singing and the burning of the Olympic flame at Beijing's famed Bird's Nest stadium.
Snowflake lights drifted up from the stadium, while pyrotechnics illuminated the night sky, writing out the phrase "One World, One Family." Inside, thousands danced on the stadium floor to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne."
In comparison to the 2008 summer games, the closing ceremony, like the opening ceremony, was a simpler event, stressing children, Chinese tradition, and everyday people.
Earlier in the event, flag bearers from the participating nations entered the stadium, followed by happy athletes, many of whom were clutching their phones to film the scene. After organizers indicated that tickets would not be sold to the general public, a small but passionate gathering of invited people gathered to observe.
After being the world's first city to hold both summer and winter games, Beijing transferred the torch to Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, which will host the 2026 Winter Games.
Two children, one from Cortina and one from Milan, then rolled a globe through breaking ice, as if to illustrate the planet's precarious status.
For the Games, which were highlighted by a US-led diplomatic boycott over China's human rights record, Russia-Ukraine tensions, and a high-profile doping controversy involving a 15-year-old skating phenom, the Chinese capital had the harshest coronavirus restrictions yet.
The event was directed by acclaimed Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who also planned the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach complimented athletes for their sportsmanship in his closing remarks.
"You not only respected each other, but you also supported and hugged each other, despite the fact that your nations are split by conflict," he remarked. "May the world's political leaders be influenced by your example of unity and peace."
Bach also urged the international community to ensure that people all throughout the globe had equitable access to Covid vaccinations.
"If we are to eventually defeat this pandemic, we must be quicker, strive higher, be stronger, and stand together," he stated.
Sunday's ceremony brought to a close two weeks of drama in which Olympic heroes were born and records were rewritten.
