The theme, "Harmony: The Common Dream of Humanity" captured the country's ancient culture and emphasized the spirit of harmony around the world.

The 80,000-seat Shanghai Stadium was filled to capacity as hundreds of millions of viewers around the world tuned in to the largest event ever broadcast from China.

Special appearances included Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Colin Farrell, Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi and Yao Ming; with music by The Silk Road Ensemle, Quincy Jones, Lang Lang, and Tan Dun.