[Live] Closing Ceremony of the 19th Asian Games

Besides technology, China dedicated a significant amount of time to allowing members of the delegations to have fun on the field during the closing ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

The Vietnamese delegation danced and had fun on the field.
After the parade, the organizers allocated about 10 minutes for the delegations to socialize and celebrate. Some Vietnamese members were playfully pushing each other and falling to the ground, while others asked to take souvenir photos with the Asiad 19 mascot. Some delegations, such as Pakistan and Taiwan, gathered together and took group photos right on the field.
Director Sa Xiaolan once said that technology would continue to be used in the closing ceremony, but not as much as in the opening ceremony. He wanted a closing ceremony that was more romantic and aesthetically pleasing.
Parades
The delegations, in alphabetical order, began marching, starting from Afghanistan, with the athletes beaming with smiles. Vietnam was one of the last countries to appear, with only a few dozen members. Today, the delegation competed in their final event, the men's team karate kata, but the team only finished fifth and did not win any medals. This event, for women, brought home one of the three gold medals for Vietnam this time.
Giant flowers bloom in Hangzhou courtyard.
One of the most striking images from the closing ceremony was the giant flowers that sprouted and bloomed on the field. These weren't real flowers, but rather a special effects creation. Each flower emitted sparks of light that flew up into the sky.
Hangzhou is considered a leading science and technology city in Asia, and indeed the world. 3D and digital imagery is often incorporated into the screens to showcase the host city's strengths.
Images of giant flowers on the field. Photo: screenshot
The first segment focuses on history.
Following the Chinese flag-raising ceremony, the organizers immediately began the artistic performances, starting with a scene depicting ancient Hangzhou with its waterways, and two characters, a male and a female, dressed in traditional costumes. Next, a young girl appeared and sang a song to encourage participation in the 19th Asian Games.
The director for both the opening and closing ceremonies remains Sa Xiaolan. Sa previously assisted Zhang Yimou in the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The closing ceremony used a digital stage.
The opening ceremony was impressive, featuring a large oval screen placed on the field, displaying eye-catching 3D images. Because the closing ceremony took place just 24 hours after the final event on the Hangzhou field, there wasn't enough time to install the screen. Instead, the organizers came up with the idea of creating a digital playing surface with over 40,000 light points. Therefore, the field became a giant color palette, looking very much like a large screen from a distance.
The playing field during the closing ceremony of the 19th Asian Games. Photo: Xinhua News Agency

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The closing ceremony of the 19th Asian Games will take place at 7 PM on Sunday, October 8, 2023, at the Hangzhou Stadium in Zhejiang Province, China. The ceremony is expected to last approximately 90 minutes, significantly shorter than the opening ceremony. Chinese President Xi Jinping will not be in attendance as he was at the opening; instead, Premier Li Qiang will appear.

Over 12,000 athletes from 45 delegations competed at the Games, with 41 delegations winning medals. Four delegations left China empty-handed: Bhutan, Timor Leste, Maldives, and Yemen.

3D images of blooming lotus flowers outside the Hangzhou stadium during the closing ceremony. Photo: Screenshot — 3D images of blooming lotus flowers outside the Hangzhou stadium during the closing ceremony. Photo: *Screenshot*

Vietnam participated in the Asian Games with 504 members, including 337 athletes, competing in 31 sports. The delegation won 3 gold medals, 5 silver medals, and 19 bronze medals, ranking 21st in the overall standings, a drop of four places compared to the previous Games. Within the region, Vietnam ranked sixth after Thailand (12 gold), Indonesia (7), Malaysia (6), the Philippines (4), and Singapore (3 gold and 6 silver). However, Vietnam also met its target of winning 2 to 5 gold medals.

Vietnam won medals in 12 sports, led by the karate team with 1 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals, followed by shooting and sepak takraw with one medal each. No other sport brought home a gold medal for the delegation.

China topped the medal table with 201 gold, 111 silver, and 71 bronze medals. The host nation's gold medal count was nearly four times that of second-placed Japan, and more than the combined total of the next eight teams.

China also broke their record of 199 gold medals won at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou. This time, they accounted for 41.7% of the 482 gold medals awarded at the Games.

The 19th Asian Games featured 481 events, but the organizers awarded 482 gold medals. The only event to award two gold medals was Takayama Shunya (Japan) and Yaqoub Al Youha (Kuwait), as they both achieved the top result in the men's 110m hurdles.

The 20th Asian Games will take place in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19, 2026 to October 4, 2026.

Hoang An

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