ROCKVILLE, United States, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Nearly a hundred Chinese living in the United States hailed the successful opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games Friday night when they witnessed the historical event together here in a restaurant.

    In the restaurant in Rockville, Maryland, whose windows were decorated with stickers of the Olympic emblems and walls were covered by banners "One World, One Dream," the atmosphere was heated by the excitement and joy the opening ceremony brought to the audience.

    As the national anthem was played and the national flag hoisted in the "Bird's Nest," the nickname of the Beijing Olympic Games' main venue where the opening ceremony was held, everyone stood up, and their faces revealed joy and pride.

    "Surprise!" said Zhou Shimin when asked about his impression of the opening ceremony.

    The ceremony was beyond his expectations even though he had known as many details as possible online in advance, he told.

    "I was amazed by how Chinese culture of five thousand years can be presented via modern technology," he said. "It is so creative and I believe China can impress the rest of the world with a new face shown at the opening ceremony."

    Chinese in the United States can only watch the opening ceremony 12 hours later because U.S. network NBC, which is authorized to broadcast the event, is hoping to accommodate a bigger audience at prime time at night.

    Chen, who only gave her surname, said she was impressed by the grand and splendid scenes as well as the commitment of all the performers.

    "For the 4-hour opening ceremony, numerous Chinese people have been practicing for about three years," she said. "I appreciate their commitment to being a host of this world game."

    "Everything was amazing, impressive and ceremonial," said Ercu Gorgul, a self-claimed big fan of China and the Olympic Games.

    He said he found no difficulties in understanding the messages the ceremony delivered, and was especially amazed by human-performed calligraphy.

    Gorgul wanted to stay as long as possible to see more of the ceremony even though he was under pressure to get packed for a trip to Beijing Saturday to watch the Olympic Games.

    "It will be my first time to be in China, and I am so excited about it," he said, adding he bought tickets online last year.

    Li Yeqing, president of the Beijing University Alumni Association in Washington, D.C., which organized the gathering, said the Olympic Games in Beijing means a lot to Chinese people all over the world.

    "Although we are not in China to experience the historical event, being together here to watch the opening ceremony is also a special way to share the joy and pride with our homeland," he said.