2008 Summer Paralympics /

The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. Over 4,200 athletes from 148 countries were expected to take part. This was the largest ever number of nations at the Paralympics (twelve more than in Athens), and several countries competed for the first time. China fielded more athletes than any other country. The slogan for the 2008 Paralympics was the same as the 2008 Summer Olympics, "One World, One Dream" (Chinese: 同一個世界 同一個夢想; Pinyin Tóng yīge shìjìe tóng yīge mèngxiǎng, lit. "One World, One Dream"). China dominated the medal count finishing with 89 gold medals and 211 total medals, more than double the next-ranked NPC in both cases. International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Philip Craven declared the Games "the greatest Paralympic Games ever." Nineteen competition venues—seventeen in Beijing, one in Hong Kong, and one in Qingdao—have been selected for the 2008 Summer Paralympics. The emblem, "Sky, Earth, and Human Beings" (Chinese: 天、地、人), is a multicolored Chinese character "之"