The following are some of the Chinese cultural icons in Friday's Beijing Olympics opening ceremony.

Confucius and Lunyu

Performances at the opening ceremony opened with a well-known saying of Confucius, "Friends have come from afar, how happy we are." And 2,008 performers beat the ancient Chinese percussion instrument, the Fous, and sang to welcome friends from all over the world.

Some of the much quoted lines from his Lunyu, or the Analects, were chanted during the performances, including "All those within the four seas can be considered as brothers."

Confucius (551 BC-479 BC) was a famous educator and thinker in ancient times. He was also founder of Confucianism, a mainstream school of thought that deeply influenced later generations.

Apsaras

Apsaras is an image in the mural paintings of Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang in northwest China's Gansu Province, and the synonym of Mogao Grottoes.

During the Olympics opening performances, 20 graceful Apsarases fell from the sky and clustered around the Olympic rings, manifesting beauty and romance.

The Four Treasures of The Study

These refer to the brush, ink stick, paper and inkstone, and appeared in a short film before the art performances.

Chinese Ink And Wash Painting

The performances began with the black and white tone of Chinese ink and wash painting, and the unique body language of the performers contained its charm.