A scene from the Opening Ceremony for London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Park stadium in the British capital on July 27.[Photo by Xinhua]

The Chinese people are engaged in a fierce discussion about the opening ceremony for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, which began in London on July 27, as they automatically draw a comparison with the home-grown opening ceremony in Beijing in 2008.

Called "The Isles of Wonder", the 2012 show encapsulated Britain’s economic and social development from a rural economy, through the Industrial Revolution to the 1960s, and presented contributions the UK has made to the world through innovation and revolution, including the woman's suffrage movement, the NHS and British popular culture.

The serious occasion featured many high-profile celebrities, such as Queen Elizabeth II, who opened the Games. Her Majesty also took part in a short film alongside Daniel Craig as James Bond. Mr. Bean played by Rowan Atkinson also appeared, comically playing a repeated single note on synthesizer while he lapsed into a dream sequence.

The Opening Ceremony reflected the key themes and priorities of the London 2012 Games, based on sport, inspiration, youth and urban transformation, said the London 2012 official website.

When the ceremony was broadcast through the airwaves, the savvy Chinese Internet users begun to make a comparative study of the ceremony and its predecessor orchestrated in China, both visually and culturally, on Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter.

User 庚着毛毛_M wrote："Of all the Games, I believe Beijing 2008 Games is the best. I liked its artist performances in the opening ceremony, as it perfectly expressed the essence of the Chinese culture. I feel proud as a Chinese person."