The 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games kicks off with an opening ceremony in Beijing on Thursday evening. [Photo by Zou Hong/chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games kicked off with an opening ceremony in Beijing on Thursday evening and will run until Sunday.

The opening ceremony was staged at the National Speed Skating Oval in Chaoyang district, known locally as the Ice Ribbon. It combined cutting-edge robotics with arts performances.

The ceremony offered a glimpse of a future shaped by human-machine collaboration. A traditional culture segment titled Intelligent Harmony featured the largest number of robots in the show. Sixty miniature robots dressed in opera costumes moved with precision, while others demonstrated Tai Chi and Wing Chun in coordination with human acrobats, executing difficult stunts like single-leg stances and the "spreading wings" pose.

Another highlight, Heavenly Creations and Fashion, or Tiangong Nishang in Chinese, turned the venue into a futuristic runway where robots and human models jointly presented designs blending Chinese trends, intangible cultural heritage, and advanced technology. The display was intended to underline China's open and inclusive approach to embodied intelligent robotics.

Organizers said the games aim to demonstrate the possibilities of human-robot interaction by integrating technology with culture and fashion to captivate audiences worldwide.

Around 280 teams from 16 countries have brought together more than 500 humanoid robots to compete in the games.