One of the essential parts of the ceremony was the passing of the Paralympic flag from one host city to the next. In 2022, Beijing will become the first city to have hosted both the summer and winter editions of the Games.
"Tonight is a celebration that if you dare to dream, you must do your best to fulfil it. One man who had a dream was the late Stephen Hawking — an inspiration to us all. He urged us all to look at the stars and not our feet," said the president of the International Paralympic Committee in his speech.