It was a dazzling display inside the stadium and out for the opening ceremony of the East Asian Games held at a packed Macau Stadium last night.

Fireworks lit the night sky in Taipa soon after the cauldron was lit by a torch carried by a small boy representing a traditional Macau fisherman, one of the many touches which highlighted the city's heritage as a fishing port. Giant plastic octopus and squid ballooned in the air while nine 'angels' carrying the flags of each of the participating countries and regions floated on intricate pulleys high above the audience.

'I'm proud to be a Macanese tonight. We have showed the world tonight what we are capable of,' said enthralled spectator Leong Chi-cheng.