Disciples holding bamboo slips chant the much-quoted lines of Lunyu (The Analects): "All those within the four seas can be considered his brothers" during the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the XXIV Olympiad August 8, 2008, at The Bird's Nest National Stadium in Beijing. Bamboo slips are the earliest book form of ancient China. The Olympic Games are the leading international sporting event featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered to be the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart. U.S. Army photo by Tim Hipps