Lots of dignitaries but no real fireworks - only electronic flash - as the Asian Games open

Asian Games - Hangzhou 2022 - Opening Ceremony - Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Hangzhou, China - September 23, 2023 Performers during the Opening Ceremony REUTERS/Marko Djurica

HANGZHOU, China (AP): The opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday in China offered all the staples of a major international sports event.

Dignitaries greeted General Secretary Xi Jinping, fans packed the 80,000-seat Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou to capacity, and many of the 12,417 participants from 45 nations and territories paraded to officially open the two-week show.