Chongqing Municipality in southwest China staged a magnificent fireworks show on the night of December 19 to greet Macao's return to the motherland.

The night sky over the most populous city in China was luminous, as some 8,600 fireworks began to burst one after the other from 8:00 p.m., forming colorful designs and Chinese characters which read "Chongqing Welcomes Macao's Return."

It took about 100 workers more than two months to produce all these fireworks in 90 varieties especially for this celebration, according to Qu Zhizhong, who runs a local fireworks factory.

"We hope the fireworks display will create a happy night for 30 million Chongqing people," Qu said.

Countless viewers also joined in outdoor activities such as lion dances beside the Jialing River which runs through the city.

On the campus of Chongqing University, thousands of students waited to countdown Macao's homecoming at midnight today.

"This is a moment that every Chinese would like to be an eyewitness to," said one student named Wang, who is majoring in computer technology.

Earlier today, about 10,000 local residents participated in a ceremonial marathon along Chongqing's downtown streets.