The Beijing Olympic Winter Games are officially under way ... kicking off with an elaborate opening ceremony at Beijing National Stadium.
Chinese President Xi Jinping officially declared the games open ... marking the start of the historic sporting event.
The Olympics are being held in China -- across three different time zones -- as various athletes from all over the world compete for medals in 15 different sports.
These games mark the second time China is hosting the Olympics -- they previously held the Summer Games back in 2008 -- and won the bid for the 2022 Winter Games in 2015.