The 2025 Chengdu World Games will begin on Thursday night by staging its opening ceremony not in a conventional stadium, but in an expansive urban space featuring a massive eaves gallery, a large lake and lakeside greenery, organizers said.

Huang Peiling, deputy chief director of the Games' opening and closing ceremonies, said Monday that the Tianfu Eaves — a prominent architectural feature of the Tianfu International Convention Center in southern Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province — will serve as a key backdrop.

The open space in front of it, along with a lake covering about 200,000 square meters and surrounding greenery, will jointly form a unique open-air stage.

The Tianfu Eaves, a 430-meter-long wooden gallery at the convention center's front hall, is said to be the largest single wooden structure of its kind in Asia.

"Hosting an opening ceremony in such a vast public space is innovative, but also extremely challenging," Huang said. "Unlike stadiums with fixed rigging points, stages, entry and exit passages, and enclosed spaces, all stage layouts for this ceremony must be redesigned."

The opening ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8 pm, during Chengdu's twilight hours, and may feature a sunset and glowing skies. As athletes enter, a starry sky could serve as a natural backdrop, she said.

Athletes will parade in a relaxed "city walk" style, allowing them to immerse themselves in Chengdu's ambience as a "park city", Huang said.

About 60 percent of the directing team members are from Chengdu or elsewhere in Sichuan province, she noted.

"We hope to present this opening ceremony through expressions that are closer to local people's daily lives," she said. "For example, the first-ever torch-lighting ceremony in World Games history will see Chengdu-born athletes pass the torch while riding a powerboat, followed by water skiers completing the final ignition. Both are sports beloved by Chengdu residents."

The performances will also highlight local urban charm and Sichuan's cultural heritage, such as the face-changing stunts of Sichuan Opera, archaeological discoveries at the Sanxingdui ruins, and Chengdu's intangible cultural heritage, she added.

Even the audience will play a role. Beyond regular seats, some spectators will watch from camping chairs along the lake shore — embodying Chengdu's famed "sense of ease".

Qiao Wei, chief scriptwriter of the opening and closing ceremonies, said the Tianfu Eaves area aligns with the city's inclusive, free-spirited nature and the World Games' emphasis on entertainment.

"Under the huge eaves, people from around the world who love sports and life will gather — celebrating, showcasing themselves and pursuing peace, like one big family," Qiao said.

He described the ceremony as "fun-filled", saying fun is a driving force in both sports and everyday life, and helps foster unity — echoing China's vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Hu Ruiming, a volunteer flagbearer for the ceremony, said rehearsals have been exhausting but worthwhile, as he will get the chance to showcase the spirit of unity and friendship among Chinese youth.

An amateur basketball player and fan of billiards and Muay Thai, Hu said he looks forward to chatting with global athletes about their sports.