Special report:   2008 Olympic Games
    MACAO, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- More than 10,000 people from all sides of Macao society joined show-biz stars in an outdoors concert here Thursday to celebrate the eighth anniversary of Macao's return to its motherland and extend wishes for the coming 2008 Beijing Olympics.

    A total of 2,008 balloons of five colors symbolizing the Olympic rings were released into the air during the opening ceremony of the concert, drawing applause from the crowds that filled the Macao Stadium.

    Liu Peng, director of the General Administration of Sport and president of the Chinese Olympics Committee, congratulated via recorded video on the eighth anniversary of Macao's return.

    "I would like to take this chance to thank Macao people for their persistent caring and support for athletics on the Chinese mainland and the Beijing Olympics," Liu said.

    With participants totaling more than 10,000, the concert also set a record in Macao's show-biz history, which saw the sell-out of all tickets within four hours earlier this month.