TIANJIN, Aug. 27 -- Dubbed China's "mini-Olympics", the curtains were raised for the 13th National Games of China here on Sunday evening at the Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, nicknamed the "Water Drop".

Chinese President Xi Jinping declared the country's premier multi-sport event open in the eastern metropolis, just 113.3km away from the capital Beijing.

Among those present at the ceremony was President of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach, who's on a visit to Beijing inspecting the preparations for the 2022 Winter Games.

Before a spectacular artistic performance mixing music and dance, fireworks and a cultural extravaganza, the athletes paraded in Olympic style into the stadium.

The opening ceremony reached its climax as the Games' mascot "JinWa" and a robot lit a cauldron with the flame that arrived in the stadium after a 20-day relay.

Twenty-two days ago, on the country's national Fitness Day, the flame for the 13th National Games was ignited by 2017 London Olympic weightlifting champion Lyu Xiaojun at the Siyuan square in Sanchakou on the Haihe River, which is considered the origin of Tianjin.

This year, the quadrennial Games bear the theme "National Games for a Healthy China". The event will draw a total of 12,721 athletes to participate in 417 events across 33 sports, plus 7,620 amateurs in 126 events of 19 mass programs.

130 finals in 12 Olympic sports including marathon, synchronized swimming and tennis, as well as in 17 out of 19 popular programs, such as taichi, chess and rock climbing, have already been completed ahead of the opening ceremony.

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