The People's Daily today in most of its pages gives prominence to the return of Macao to China.

In the front page it reports in bold type the Party and State delegation headed by President Jiang Zemin to the handover ceremony to be held in Macao. It also prints a lengthy round-up dispatch on the festival mood sweeping across the country about the return of Macao to the motherland. The paper features a PLA contingent to be stationed in Macao. A short note gives a nationwide coverage on the jubilant atmosphere throughout the nation about Macao's return.

A banner headline across the second page reads: "Greeting the Return of Macao in Happiness throughout the Country." A report from Macao carries the confidence cherished by the economic community in Macao about the rosy prospects following Macao's return. Headed " For the Sacred Mission", an inclusive interview with Commander Liu Yuejun of the PLA task force to be dispatched to Macao. The interview is matched with a photo of the commander. A staff correspondent of the paper reports the scene of the last but one count-down day in Tiananmen Square. A boxed byline note lauds the return of Macao as a success of the "one country, two systems" policy. A staff reporter describes the booming mart in Macao.

A note in the second page says: "The return of Macao to the embrace of the motherland is not only a big stride ahead in the great cause of the reunification of the motherland, but a new opportunity for the overall reinvigoration of the whole nation."

Again a banner headline headed "Marching to a New Era with the Same Heart and Same Mind" runs in the third page. A staff reporters' dispatch from Hongkong conveys the best wishes of the compatriots in Hongkong to their counterparts in Macao. The People's Daily Online reporters write about young volunteer workers in Macao are busy about the preparation for the return of Macao. The report runs with the headline "Youth, the Future of Macao." Under the headline "A jovial air prevails in the capital of Beijing" portraits the busy preparations for welcoming the return of Macao. The third paper also devotes much space to the happy state of mind of retirees, artists and the preparatory activities in diverse localities in the country for the great event of Macao's return.

The fourth page of the paper offers large space for the Macao coverage: A responsible official from the PLA contingent to be sent to Macao announced that the contingent is ready to go to Macao; The State Council promulgated "the Decision of the State Council of the People's Republic of China on Empowering the Special Administrative Region in Macao to Take over the Assets from the Former Macao Government". The page also lavishes space for greeting activities in Qingdao, Hainan, Chengdu and Wuhan. Also reported are the assignment of members of two temporary administrative bodies, the appointment of the information director by the Macao chief executive, Edmund Ho Hua Wah, the opening of the Portugal General Consulate in Macao and the Portugal president confident about the enhanced ties between China and Portuguese after Macao's return to China.

Reports on Macao's return have spilled over to the seven page,

The paper devotes the whole eighth page to the activities for welcoming Macao's return to the motherland in different regions in China. A photo features a group of boys and girls holding two posters bearing the words: "Laughters ringing among children as Macao is going home".

In addition to the Macao coverage, the paper today also prints reports on the proceedings of the 13th session of the 9th NPC's Standing Committee and the centennial birthday of the late Marshal Nie Rongzhen.