Monday, Nov. 03, 2008

Lip-syncing in Beijing

In official Chinese ceremonies, what you see isn't necessarily what you get — and this summer's Olympics was no exception. Lin Miaoke, the cute-as-a-button 9-year-old, appeared to sing "Ode to the Motherland" as China's flag was carried into Beijing's National Stadium. But the voice the audience heard belonged to another girl, 7-year-old Yang Peiyi, who was deemed not adorable enough to carry the show. "The reason was for the national interest," explained Chen Qigang, the ceremony's musical director. "The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feeling and expression." Peiyi was quoted as saying she was honored to have had a role in the opening ceremony. It is unclear if Miaoke knew she was lip-syncing.