Lai Tak Keong, a lie-abed on holidays, went out to streets early this morning with a camera, hoping to spend the busiest holiday specially designated for marking Macao's return to China.

He was snapping what came into his sight one after another, including happy crowds of people, streets decorated with colorful buntings, newly furnished shops, and streamers reading "Warmly welcome Macao's return to the motherland".

"My grandparents have longed for this time the whole life, and my parents, most of their life," said the 22-year-old man.

Joshua Chan, general assembly chairman of the Students Union of the University of Macao, embraced this morning after an almost sleepless night, watching live-televised TV programs about Macao's return. However, he didn't seem tired.

"I won't miss the exciting historic moment. I will keep my eyes open and witness the historic moments," Chan said in a husky voice, after fixing time with his classmates to welcome the Chinese People's Liberation Army troops to be stationed in Macao at noon of December 20. "At this very moment, I feel all the more a part of China than any other time," he said.

And at the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Macao Special Administrative Region to be opened this afternoon, the Chinese national flag was hoisted at 8:00 this morning, and so in schools.

Under banyans of the Camoes Garden, some senior citizens, after shadowboxing exercises, gathered together, talking about Macao's return to the motherland and its future.

And at St Paul's, the ruins of an old Portuguese church, a girl in Portuguese village dress was taking pictures. Local people believe that the European-style ruins will remain "the principal symbol of Macao, and something that unites all Macao residents."

Casino Lisboa, another well-known building in Macao, looked eye-catching under the morning sun. And right in front of the neon-lit casino's front gate, a red five-star Chinese national flag was flying on a mast.

"Macao will continue to be the 'Oriental Monte Carlo', which will serve as the best evidence for the 'one country, two systems' policy," said Cheng Weng Lok, a Hong Kong visitor, who just came out of the casino.