Few doubt Beijing's ability to put on a show tomorrow that is bigger, grander and glitzier than that staged by any previous Olympic host city. The host of this party - overly prepared and yet still agonising over the details - wants to treat the world to a complete survey of Chinese history and culture, probably dating all the way back to the Stone Age. If the two-minute sneak preview leaked by a South Korean broadcaster is any guide, the show will touch on every aspect of Chinese culture a reasonably well-informed westerner could name in 30 seconds. Tai chi, calligraphy, red drums, dragons and flying phoenixes are sure to have roles to play. And, if the speculation is correct, bicycles, Peking Opera, Confucius, Shaolin monks and the legend of Pangu, who created the world by separating yin from yang, will also put in appearances. Ric Birch, the creative guru behind the opening ceremony for the Sydney Olympics and an artistic adviser for Beijing's gala, said in a recent interview: 'The world can expect, of course, to be gob-smacked.' But the question is, will this massive production engender any new ideas about the host nation, or simply reinforce cultural stereotypes? Cui Weiping , a professor at the Beijing Film Academy, said a successful ceremony should allow for the simultaneous expression of many aspects of a nation's culture. 'Chinese culture is much more than the terracotta warriors, kung fu and the giant pandas,' she said. 'A truly vibrant host should eschew the old cliches rather than embrace them because the latter is narcissism and artistic laziness.' The show should be 'selectively inclusive', Professor Cui said. On the one hand, a hodgepodge of quintessential Chinese symbols and ideas would clutter the audience's perceptions rather than enlighten them. On the other, creating a fair portrait of a complex civilisation would require a sensible blending of history and highbrow and street culture - a mixture of old and new. That would be no mean feat, said Ma Weidu , a Beijing-based art collector and critic. The show could easily become a gaudy, bloated extravaganza in which the host tries to explain 5,000 years of history and culture in a single breath. Or it could turn out to be too elegant and intellectual, and thus fail to connect with the audience. 'People would be left wondering, 'what's that all about? Do I need a doctoral degree in Chinese history to understand a show?'' he said. Hong Kong-based cultural critic Leung Man-tao said the right tone for the production would probably remain elusive until the moment of execution. Athens pulled it off beautifully four years ago, combining myth and human majesty in a mesmerising spectacle that managed to avoid hyperbole, making it an Olympics classic. Beijing could attempt a similar combination of the modern and the traditional, but the show would have to be understated rather than trying to upstage the previous one, Mr Leung said. 'Having waited for so long, China's finally got the single most significant occasion for itself, and she wants it to be huge, bold and spectacular,' he said. And in an authoritarian state where art must obey rules that are not of its own making, few would be surprised if the opening gala trumpeted the country's hard-won and ruthlessly maintained 'unity and harmony'. Or it could be that too tight a focus on 'face' could result in an over-the-top display of China's present prosperity. However, that route could backfire, Mr Leung said. 'Boasting would make viewers uncomfortable, or even worse, raise concerns,' he said. 'Beijing should delight its guests rather than scare them off. A loveable, gentle image, such as the one Athens cut in 2004, would work much better than an aggressive one.' The show's chief architect, film director Zhang Yimou , is known for producing opulent costume dramas. In his most recent movie, the sumptuous Tang dynasty action epic Curse of the Golden Flower, a gargantuan gold-laced imperial palace was created and a cast of thousands clad in bright colours filled the screen. Mr Leung said he was looking forward to contributions from other artists, such as Chen Qigang , a Paris-trained classical composer who will be supervising the music for the opening ceremony, and the show's special effects director, Cai Guoqiang , a US-based artist who works with gunpowder. Mr Ma, the Beijing-based critic, said the ceremony should not be constrained by assumptions about what was appropriate national imagery for international consumption. 'I'll call it a success if by the end of the day Chinese people - in or outside the stadium, in or outside the country - can say, 'I feel proud to be Chinese today',' he said. The schedule 5.45pm entertainment show 7pm spectator instruction by volunteers 7.56pm countdown 8pm opening ceremony begins in earnest 8pm-8.14pm Olympic rings display and national flag-raising 8.14pm gala performance 9.04pm athletes parade 11pm officials from IOC and China address the crowd; athletes and referees take oath; final torch relay; cauldron-lighting 11.30pm wrap-up