The Chinese delegation's national flag-raising ceremony was held at the Rio Paralympic Athletes Village on Monday, two days ahead of the grand opening of the first Paralympic Games in a South American nation.

A welcome performance highlighted original Brazilian music and culture. The athletes cheered and applauded with the dancers.

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The Chinese Paralympic contingent, headed by the Chairperson of China's Disabled Persons' Federation, Zhang Haidi, attended the ceremony.

"We come here with friendship and the love to our motherland," Zhang, 61, said. "The athletes will do their best in the Games."

Following the ceremony, the Chinese delegation announced that wheelchair fencing world champion Rong Jing would be the country's flagbearer at the Paralympic Games opening ceremony, according to Xinhua.

"It's a surprise as well as a great honor to be the flagbearer," Rong, 28, said. "I will try to do my best in the game and enjoy the days in Rio."

The quadrennial sporting event for athletes with physical disabilities would run from September 7 to 18. An estimated 4,350 participating athletes from 170 different countries would vie for 528 medal events in 22 different sports.

China has sent the country's largest-ever Paralympic delegation to the international multi-sport competition for disabled athletes. The Asian powerhouse has dispatched a contingent of 308 athletes to participate in the 15^th Paralympic Games.

Including sports officials and coaches, the Chinese contingent consists of a total of 499 people. Almost a third of the delegation are considered to be veterans when it comes to the Olympics.

In the past three Summer Paralympic Games, Chinese athletes dominated and topped the medal table. China claimed the most number of gold medals at the 2012 London Paralympics, winning 95 gold medals and bagging a total of 231 Paralympic medals four years ago, according to China.org.

Tags2016 rio paralympic games, rong jing, china, Zhang Haidi