Leaked footage from the ceremony includes a spectacular light show.
Images from the top secret opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games have been published more than a week ahead of the event.
In what has been described as a major embarrassment for Games organisers, a Korean television network has filmed and broadcast 30 seconds from rehearsals of the show on Monday night.
An employee of Korean broadcaster Seoul Broadcasting System said that one of its reporters arrived in Beijing on Monday and walked from the International Broadcast Centre into the Bird's Nest and shot the footage, Fairfax reported on Thursday.
Beijing Olympics spokesman Sun Weide on Wednesday night told Fairfax media that the footage was obtained by "abnormal means" and questioned the professional standards of the reporter.
Chinese authorities are reportedly feverishly working to get the footage removed from YouTube.
"We hope to surprise the world with an excellent performance," Weide said.
The footage shows the ceremony beginning with a countdown and thunderous drums, while a giant traditional scroll painting unfurls, revealing a lone rhythmic gymnast, Fairfax says.
Two huge humpback whales are seen swimming around the roof of the stadium, while on the ground, hundreds perform martial arts, and trapeze artists dance to orchestral music with Chinese string instruments.
Security surrounding plans for the opening ceremony has been unprecedented.
Next Friday night's ceremony, due to start at 8.08pm on 08-08-08, is set to go for three and a half hours.
It is directed by China's best-known film director, Zhang Yimou.
Design and production teams and the thousands of cast members have had to sign confidentiality agreements.
The vision has been taken down from many websites, but was still on News Ltd and Fairfax websites in Australia early on Thursday.
© AAP 2008
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