The coach and players of the Liaoning Fencing Team conduct closed training in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, on October 30, 2025 to prepare for the upcoming National Games. Photo: VCG

With just 10 days to go before the ­curtain rises on the 15th National Games, the organizing committee on Thursday confirmed that the first full-dress rehearsal with audience participation took place on Wednesday at the Guangdong Olympic Sports Center. Preparations for the opening ­ceremony have now entered the final sprint.

According to the creative team, the rehearsal fully simulated the official opening ceremony scheduled for November 9. The performance is structured around three chapters, blending traditions of Lingnan (south of the Nanling Mountains in South China), such as lion dance, Cantonese opera water sleeves, dragon boat race, and Chinese war dance with cutting-edge technologies including AI, VR, and robotics. The result will be an immersive "dialogue between the ancient and the modern," the organizers said.

"The ceremony is not only about showcasing the rich heritage of Lingnan culture but also about conveying the innovative spirit of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," Chief Director Lang Kun said. "This successful full-scale rehearsal marked a perfect fusion of art and technology, giving us great confidence for the official debut," reported China News Service.

An audience member who attended the rehearsal and requested anonymity told the Global Times that the ceremony was "ingeniously designed yet simple in form," noting that the venue featured a newly built sloping structure extending outward from the main stage, "something worth looking forward to."

The rehearsal also tested the entire logistical process, including "remote assembly and on-site security checks."

Chief Producer Wang Ruixiang added, "We aim to tell the stories of China and its Greater Bay Area to the world in a simple yet sophisticated way."

With the rehearsal completed, all supporting systems from venue ­facilities and media broadcasting to volunteer services are now in place.

Meanwhile, ticket sales for the fourth batch of events opened Thursday at 10 am, covering 18 sports across nine Guangdong cities, including athletics, gymnastics, and swimming. This marks the full roll-out of ticket sales for all events of the 15th National Games.

Ticket sales for the Games' competition program features 15 elite sports along with three mass-participation events: dragon and lion dance, three-on-three basketball, and tennis.

Among the most in-demand events is diving, likely due to the participation of Olympic champions Xie Siyi, Quan Hongchan, Chen Yiwen, and Chen Aisen. Organizers announced that more tickets will be released Friday. 

"Especially Quan Hongchan, many of us are eager to see her back in action," a local resident told the Global Times.

Guangdong will field the largest team in the Games, with 1,072 athletes, 544 men and 528 women competing in record numbers of events. The team includes 10 Olympic champions, 198 athletes with previous National Games experience, accounting for 18.5 percent, and 598 first-time participants, accounting for 55.8 percent.

Top athletes such as sprinter Su Bingtian, tennis player Wang Xinyu, and newly crowned Asian triple jump record holder Wu Ruiting are also expected to shine.

Before the opening ceremony, 57 gold medals will be decided, including six from sailing events on Wednesday. Hong Kong SAR's Nicholas Halliday captured the first gold of the Games, winning the men's ILCA 7 discipline.

The 15th National Games and the National Games for Persons with Disabilities, the largest in history in terms of scale and host cities, will be jointly held in Guangdong and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions from November 9 to 21. On Sunday, the Games' torch relay will be held simultaneously across four cities: Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.