¡¡DOHA, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- Arch-shaped screen, fireworks, unbelievable lighting and fascinating performance. The 15th Asian Games opening ceremony was a spectacular show of culture and dazzling effects, which led many Asian reporters to believe that it was the best opening ceremony in the past ten years and the best ever in the Asian Games history.

    Capacity spectators of 40,000 were entertained on Friday by a performance using cutting-edge technology, telling a story about how an Ancient Qatari, named the Seeker, searched for treasures and found other parts of Asia with the help of an astrolabe. He returned with richness and handed down not only the astrolabe, but also his respect for knowledge and their own culture.

    "It tells a good story, it introduces the history of Qatar in an extraordinary way," said Anamuthan Alagapan, a veteran photographer from Malaysia TV at the show.

    "It was really amazing and you have to believe it. I've been in this line for 24 years and I have been to three Olympic Games before. I am sure this one is the best one. And this must be the best one in Asian Games history.

    "I photographed the eagle, the petroleum, the astrolabe and lighting the torch on a horse, they are all fantastic, great."

    The ceremony involved an extensive use of different visual elements, like PIGI projections, AV projections and imagery on the LED screen. Sensitive as well as dramatic lighting linked these disparate elements into one picture. And the ceremony uses a broad range of lighting equipments all of them are latest technology.

    "It was the light and modern technology that combined the story together. I was definitely interested in the technology in the ceremony. The light, the sound and the musical background. I think it is difficult to create such a good show anywhere. That's the reason why I sit here for three hours to watch the show," said Nguyen, a 27-year-old journalist from Vietnam TV.

    "I think the ceremony is much better than the one at Athens Olympic Games, as it is much easier for me to understand, it was full of Asian style," Nguyen added.

    Khan, a journalist from India also expressed his admiration and agitation about the opening ceremony. "Maybe it is not the best one in history, it is definitely better than the one in Athens.

    "Every moment brings a new surprise, the light show and the costumes for the thousands of performers were just incredible," said Khan.

    The 2000 Sydney Olympics opening ceremony artistic director David Atkins had promised an Olympic class opening ceremony for Doha and he delivered.

    "This ceremony is far more ambitious and greater in scale and scope than the Sydney ceremony," he said earlier.

    "This is the most multi-cultural team I have ever assembled. There are performers from more countries than are in the games," he added.

    Toshiyuki Kon, photographer of the Japanese news paper The Yomiuri Shimbun, said, "Generally speaking, the show is good, especially, the first half part about the ancient Arabian culture, which has left deep impression for me.

    "But one thing out of my expectation is the lightening of the Cauldron. Actually, I thought the huge tower by the stadium was the Cauldron and fire would come out there and I don't expect the rider just lightened the cauldron inside the stadium."

    Michael Schram of Germany, working for a German sports magazine, said, "I think the most emotional part in the opening of the show with hundreds of torches lining up the phase -- Peace Be Upon You. That means a lot for the people around the world, especially, the war fields the western Asia, you know, Palestine and Iran."