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Highlights Of The Pyeongchang Olympics Opening Ceremony, In Photos

Beginning with fireworks and ending with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron, Pyeongchang's Winter Olympics opening ceremony, called "Peace in Motion," took place Friday evening amid gusts of wind and frigid temperatures.

Watching inside the Olympic stadium was a crowd of more than 30,000 — including South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who shook hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Vice President Pence sat nearby.

In the parade of nations — 92 are taking part in these Olympics — American luger Erin Hamlin, a four-time Olympian, served as Team USA's flag-bearer. A unified Korean team marched together under a unification flag. But many thought Pita Taufatofua — who competed in taekwondo in Rio's Summer Games and is in Pyeongchang to compete in cross-country skiing — stole the show by reprising his bare-chested appearance as flag-bearer for Tonga.

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Top: Performers with candles; a makeup artist applies glitter to a performer backstage. Bottom: Dancers perform inside a tiger.
Matthias Hangst; Gregory Bull; Quinn Rooney / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Top: Performers with candles; a makeup artist applies glitter to a performer backstage. Bottom: Dancers perform inside a tiger.

North and South Korean athletes enter together under the Korean unification flag during the parade of athletes.
Matthias Hangst / Getty Images
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Getty Images
North and South Korean athletes enter together under the Korean unification flag during the parade of athletes.

Kim Yo Jong (left), the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Patrick Semansky / AP
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AP
Kim Yo Jong (left), the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, shakes hands with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The crowd stands amid lights.
Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images
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AFP/Getty Images
The crowd stands amid lights.

A firework display during the opening ceremony.
Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP/Getty Images
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AFP/Getty Images
A firework display during the opening ceremony.

Fire displays light up the opening ceremony before the Olympic cauldron (bottom left) is kindled.
Lars Baron; Jonathan Nackstrand; Frank Fife;Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Fire displays light up the opening ceremony before the Olympic cauldron (bottom left) is kindled.

Performers entertain the crowd during the opening ceremony.
Martin Bureau/AFP; Richard Heathcote; Matthias Hangst / Getty Images
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Getty Images
Performers entertain the crowd during the opening ceremony.

Some 20,000 fireworks were set off during the opening ceremony at the Pyeongchang Stadium.
Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images
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AFP/Getty Images
Some 20,000 fireworks were set off during the opening ceremony at the Pyeongchang Stadium.

Hannah Bloch is lead digital editor on NPR's international desk, overseeing the work of NPR correspondents and freelance journalists around the world.
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