The curtain has risen on the second act of the five-ring circus that is the biggest bash China has ever thrown.

Surely, the country has worked hard to host both the Olympics and Paralympics. And the fun and Games have provided a much-needed reprieve from what has been an exceptionally tough year for China.

So people should embrace the festive spirit to the fullest, relishing in every morsel of fun the Paralympics offers.

However, this is also an important occasion to take some time to think of the victims of the natural disasters the country endured this year.

Many people vowed to not forget these catastrophes, particularly the May 12 earthquake, after the death tolls were finalized, the Red Cross packed up its gear and other dramas occupied the headlines. Now is one of the best times for these people to honor their vows and for others to take them.

For the nation and world to spare a thought - perhaps even take some action - for the disaster at such a celebratory high point in the year would demonstrate the resolve to rebuild affected areas and lives might be powerful enough to achieve this daunting task.

In addition, there are strong links between the Paralympic Games and the Sichuan quake upon which we should reflect.

Many of the 370,000 injured in the quake today have disabilities, although specific figures are not available, according to the State Council Information Office.

Surely, many of these people, some of whom may become China's future Paralympians, can find inspiration in the Games.

This shines through in the words of 23-year-old Xie Xia, who lost part of his right leg in the quake. Xinhua News Agency quoted the Sichuan farmer as saying the lesson he has taken from the event was: "Never lose heart in life, even though you have disabilities."

In addition, the Paralympic Games has also served as an impetus to improve facilities for people with disabilities in the capital, such as barrier-free access. Certainly, this will contribute greatly to the quality of life of Beijing's estimated 1 million residents who have disabilities.

Such improvements may be slower to come to less-developed regions, particularly those hit hard by the quake. But the new understanding, and consequential consideration, of people with disabilities developing among the public certainly will hasten such facilities' constructions in the hometowns of quake survivors who have disabilities.

It is likely bank employee Xie Feng was representative of much of the population when, according to Xinhua, she said of the Paralympic opening ceremony: "The performance opened a window for us to see into the world of people with disabilities, a world we knew little about before."

Of the show's 400 performers with disabilities, she also said: "The opening ceremony showed us that they are just as capable (as) ... the rest of us."

Li Yue, a 12-year-old ballerina who lost part of her leg in the earthquake and danced in the ceremony, has become an icon of this truth.

Such a shift in mindset among those who had not already drawn such conclusions could have huge impacts on the lives of those disabled in the earthquake. Most of the 88 children orphaned in the disaster have disabilities, and only one of the orphaned children, who did not, has been adopted so far.

The Sichuan provincial department of civil affairs said part of the reason so few adoptions have taken place is most adoptive parents seek children who do not have disabilities.

Certainly, the Paralympics today is one of the greatest sources of hope for this to change. And the hope for other such improvements in the lives of China's 83 million people with disabilities - likely to last long after the curtain goes down on the Games - makes the event all the more worth celebrating, and enjoying, for everyone.

E-mail: erik_nilsson@chinadaily.com.cn