A large-scale outdoor performance was staged on the last day of 2007 on Monday in Beijing to celebrate the Olympic host city stepping into the "Olympic Year."

The performance, starting at 10:45 on the winter night in the Chinese capital, saw about 4,000 spectators waving and cheering for pop stars who sang songs related to Olympic dreams and spirit.

The New Year is greeted by jubilation among the crowd.

"I knew it would be very cold to watch performance on a winter night in Beijing but we really wanted to come because we are interested in activities related with the Olympics," said a woman surnamed Liu, who was with her teenage son at the site.

Most of the spectators were university students wearing hats and gloves in the five colors of the Olympic Rings and the images of Beijing Olympic mascots Fuwa.

The New Year is greeted by jubilation among the crowd.

"One of my New Year wishes is to see a successful Beijing Olympics," said Liu Dan, a psychology major in Beijing's Capital Normal University.

The Beijing Olympics will open on Aug. 8, 2008 in Beijing.

(Xinhua News Agency January 2, 2008)