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Guizhou athlete shows off his particular skills in a demonstration for the ethnic games. Wang Jing / China Daily

It ended just as spectacularly as it started.

The Ninth National Ethnic Games in Guizhou province closed on Sunday, in a grand finale, awash in a sea of color, diversity, music, and a dazzling fireworks display.

The eight-day event at the Guiyang Olympic Sports Center attracted more than 15,000 participants, more than 6,700 of them athletes taking part in 16 medal events and 186 demonstrations.

The final ceremony, named the "Blooming flowers, full moon", took place in the 70,000-sq-m, purpose-built stadium in front of a packed house of 50,000 people.

The crowds cheered with delight, waved their flags, and lit up the arena with the breathtaking flutter of a myriad of tiny lights while they were treated to a stunning array of songs and dances from thousands of performers.

The most poignant moment of the seamless extravaganza came with the song "Don't go my friends", which echoed throughout the stadium.

And, Dai Bingguo, a state councilor, made the final announcement, declaring the "ninth National Ethnic Games of the People's Republic of China closed".

The flame that had been set alight by Guizhou's native son and Olympic boxing champion Zou Shiming, may have gone out, but the warmth it generated will continue for years to come.

A total of 129 finalists were crowned gold medalists after several days of intense competition, at 17 venues, which stretched across Guiyang.

For spectators and participants alike, the games were more like a multi-ethnic carnival punctuated with sporting prowess and ethnic diversity.

"I'm really sad that it's ended," commented Xie Guanming, "the games have been very good and have brought our culture to the outside world. It's been great for Guizhou, but it's sad to see it come to an end."

Another observer, Zhao Kaiyin, said his province has never seen anything so spectacular: "This is the best thing that's ever happened here. We've never had anything like it before and it's made people very happy. The fireworks were excellent."

In fact, this sporting gala goes all the way back to 1953 when it was held in Tianjin as the first multi-ethnic event in the newly nascent People's Republic.

Then came a 29-year gap, when the second games were not held until 1982, in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Since 1991, they have been held every four years and have built up momentum.

The previous games were held in Guangdong province, with some 8,000 athletes and officials involved. The next set will return to Inner Mongolia, in 2015.

But, in the end, it was really Guizhou itself that took the final award and the crowning glory, as the province entered the record books for holding the biggest, most spectacular games ever.

(China Daily 09/20/2011 page22)