BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- A nine-year-old Chinese girl lent her voice Friday night to the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

    Lin Miaoke, dressed in a red skirt, received thunderous applause from 90,000-plus spectators at the National Stadium, known as the "Bird's Nest", when she performed "Sing a Song of Praise to the Motherland" as 56 children, each representing an ethnic group of the country's 56 nationalities, carried the national flag into the stadium.

    "She is so lovely and I was moved by her performance," said Alain Lunzenfichter, a journalist with French newspapers L'Equipe. "Her performance suits the joyous atmosphere very well."