BEIJING -- The first full dress rehearsal for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics will be held on July 10 at the National Stadium, according to an announcement posted on the official website of the Beijing Organizing Committee on Monday.

Wang Ning, deputy director of the department in charge of the opening and closing ceremonies, said rehearsals for the opening ceremony would begin on March 1 and will be moved into the "Bird's Nest" on June 10.

"We want to create pomp with extraordinary Chinese features, fueled by hi-tech effects and audience interaction," said Jiang Xiaoyu, the Beijing Organizing Committee's executive vice president.

He denied claims that Beijing is intent on surpassing Athens' three-hour epic lauded by many as "the best opening ceremony ever".

The organizing committee also said it had employed the second batch of 75 experts and performers to work at its operations center of opening and closing ceremonies.

Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, who is masterminding the 2008 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, has said the ceremony will last about three and a half hours.

Zhang, one of China's most respected directors, is best known for his films "Raise the Red Lantern," "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers". He has won the Jury Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and has twice taken the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival.

The organizing committee has also invited Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, Australian Ric Birch and Frenchman Yves Pepin to be artistic consultants for the opening ceremony.