Gandneung (South Korea), Jan 19 (IANS): The fourth Winter Youth Olympic Games officially opened on Friday with a grand opening ceremony in South Korea's eastern Gangwon Province.

The opening ceremony was held concurrently in the Gangneung Oval and the PyeongChang Dome under the theme of "The Universe."

The theme symbolized the infinite possibility of youth by describing an imaginative journey of Woori, the ceremony's heroine and a high school girl growing up in the province, to discover a forgotten dream and create her own universe.

Woori in Korean can be translated into "being together," representing those who have turned their dream into reality, reports Xinhua.

Athletes paraded into the venue in alphabetical order of their national or regional names in the Korean language, with China's national flag carried by ice hockey player Zhang Jingyue.

It marked the first time that China had formed a delegation to take part in an international multi-sport winter event since the Beijing Winter Olympics.

"You are following in the footsteps of sporting icons who made Olympic history right here at the Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang 2018," International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said at the ceremony.

Bach encouraged young athletes to do their best in the upcoming competitions while making new friends, learning Olympic values and respecting competitors.

A digital cauldron was lit outdoors at Gangneung Olympic Park to emphasize the sustainability of the Winter Youth Olympics, while the Olympic cauldron was lit in a traditional way in the Gangneung Oval.

The digital representation of the Olympic flame will be viewed throughout the two-week event.

The ceremony was also celebrated by South Korean singers, dancers and artists at both arenas.

1,802 athletes aged 14 to 18 from 78 nations and regions will compete in the four cities of Gangneung, PyeongChang, Jeongseon and Hoengseong until February 1.

The Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics will feature seven sports, 15 disciplines and 81 events.