The Opening Ceremony due to be held on Saturday (August 16) will see Xi joined by United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon.

Other world leaders expected to attend include President of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza, President of Fiji Epeli Nailatikau, President of Maldives Abdulla Yameen, President of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic, President of Singapore Tan Keng Yam and Prime Minister of Vanuatu Joe Natuman, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang.

The Ceremony is expected to be an incredible spectacle, matching that of Beijing 2008.

Headlining the show will be a group of students from the Shaolin Tagou Martial Arts School, who will create complex patterns as they are suspended over the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre.

"Our interpretation of the 'China Dream' is the special moment when everyone's dream comes together," said Chen Weiya, director of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

"I told the performers that you should live your own dreams during the Opening Ceremony and that you will be showcasing your talents and looking ahead to your own futures.

"When singing the theme song, all performers should come up and sing together, which is the youth version of the China Dream."

Students from the Shaolin Tagou Martial Arts School will be creating complex patterns while suspended over the Nanjing Olympic Centre as part of the Opening Ceremony
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An estimated 3,600 teenage athletes, aged between 15 and 18, from 204 nations will compete in 28 sports at the Nanjing 2014.  

Security in the city has been tightened ahead of the Games, with thousands of soldiers and armed police having been drafted in to ensure the event runs smoothly.

Chinese state energy giant Sinopec has announced it is temporarily cutting production at one of its refineries in Nanjing in an effort to reduce emissions during the Youth Olympic Games.

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