A grand reception, a mass rally, and two gala performances will be held in Beijing during December 19-21 to greet China's resumption of sovereignty over Macao.

On the eve of the historic December 20 handover ceremony, about 30,000 people are expected at a gala performance hosted by the Beijing municipal government at Tiananmen Square in central Beijing.

The Chinese government will host a grand reception on the afternoon of December 20 at the Great Hall of the People celebrating the return of Macao to "her motherland," press official Feng Xiwang said today.

A high-level rally celebrating the event will be held that night at the Capital Gymnasium by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the National People's Congress, China's top legislative body, and the Central Military Commission.

The rally will be followed by singing, dancing, poetry recitations, and musical performances, the official said.

On the night of December 21, a musical gala titled Ode To The Landscape, will be jointly staged by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, and the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Political Department.

A number of activities celebrating Macao's return will also be held in other parts of China including Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Zhuhai.