Olympic opening ceremony about to begin in Beijing

BEIJING, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- The latest on the Beijing Winter Olympics (all times local):

7:25 p.m.

The opening ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics will start at 8 p.m. 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 showcases the passion of the Chinese people in welcoming the Olympic Winter Games.