ROME, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Italian sports TV Rai Sport piu hailed the successful conclusion of the 12-day Beijing 2008 Paralympics Wednesday, saying the event was as wonderful as last month's Olympics.

    With the same magnificent show of fireworks, the Chinese capital city of Beijing swiftly turned into a Paralympic town in early September from an Olympic town in August, the TV broadcaster said.

    Rai Sport piu, which was televising live the Beijing Paralympics, said the event will be of historical significance as it has impressed the world with outstanding organizational work, good service by tens of thousands of volunteers and spectacular performances of Chinese traditional music and dance.

    The Beijing Paralympics offered a happy holiday for the disabled athletes from the whole world, the broadcaster said.

    Gerardo Greco, a lawyer who was watching the closing ceremony of the Beijing Paralympics on Rai Sport piu, told Xinhua that he saw the performance of the Paralympics as a continuation of that of the Olympics.

    He said both Games are successful, serving as evidence of social progress in China and "One World, One Dream."