Some 10,000 local chanters celebrated on December 21 afternoon Macao's return to China at zero hour of December 20 with a singing, dancing and sports performance at the stadium on Taipa island of the region.

Amidst the beating of 1,000 drums and gongs, the first Chief Executive of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Edmund Ho Hau Wah kicked off the performance by touching the eyes of a sleeping lion for a lion dance.

This was one of the seven celebration activities organized by a commission responsible for return celebrations. The performance was presided over by Ma Man Kei, chairman of the committee and vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The performers were from more than 100 local social organizations with the youngest being six years old and the eldest, 80.

Traditional Chinese martial arts, Portuguese folk dances and the playing of brass-wing instruments were performed at the three- section show with each by 1,000 people, including more than 300 artists from the mainland and Hong Kong.

Ming Wenjun, one of the directors of the performance from the Beijing Dance Institute, said that the local people spent nearly eight months for preparing the one-and-half hour show.