BEIJING: China once again dazzled the world with a glittering ceremony as the Paralympics opened Saturday in the iconic "Bird''s Nest" National Stadium with the message that all life has value and dignity.

Just weeks after billions around the globe enjoyed the breathtaking opening to the Olympics, Beijing showed once again it had raised the bar for such events. In a nation in which the handicapped have long suffered discrimination, the themes of the performance were "One World, One Dream" and "Transcendence, Integration, Equality."

The ceremony started at 8:00pm (1200 GMT) after a dramatic countdown. Fireworks rocked the stadium and lit up the night sky as the flag-waving crowd screamed and shouted in anticipation.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, among the dignitaries after holding talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao, looked on as the athletes entered the futuristic stadium to roars of approval.

The 91,000-capacity crowd gave rousing welcomes to Iraq and Taiwan but went berserk when China''s massive team entered the stadium, shouting "China. Go!" Tens of thousands of flashlights formed a stunning backdrop to the three-hour show, during which 300 deaf girls performed a sign language dance dressed in white.

Chinese President Hu Jintao then officially declared the 13th Paralympic Games open before the crowd watched spellbound as gold medallist Hou Bin, in a wheelchair, pulled himself up on a rope to the roof of the stadium to light the flame in the show''s denouement.

More than 4,000 competitors from nearly 150 countries and regions will battle for 472 gold medals in 20 sports at the eye-catching venues used for last month''s Olympics such as the "Bird''s Nest" and the Water Cube.