Zhang Yimou and his team tour the National Stadium.

Two of China's most important annual celebrations -- the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival and National Day -- are just around the corner. Zhang Yimou and other officials from the Opening and Closing Ceremonies Operation Center paid a special visit to the workers at the National Stadium on Tuesday to deliver "moon cakes" and to thank them for their hard work.

Zhang Yimou is the chief director of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games. His arrival at the National Stadium stirred a great deal of excitement among the workers, and many of the workers wanted to have their pictures taken with the renowned film director.

Zhang Heping, director of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) Opening and Closing Ceremonies workgroup, conveyed that his group has wanted to meet the workers at the National Stadium for some time now.

Zhang Yimou and others paid a visit to the National Stadium construction workers.

Zhang Yimou thanked the stadium's construction workers for their help and support. Throughout the creative phase of planning the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and now in the production phase, the workers have been very accommodating in making modifications to the stadium. Without the workers' dedication and hard work, Zhang and his team's ideas would not be realized.

Installation of the National Stadium's 53,000 sq m inner membrane structure is already underway. In addition, the workers have also begun installing the equipment that will be used for next year's ceremonies. When construction work ceases next March, the rehearsals for the ceremonies will move onsite.

(BOCOG September 20, 2007)