Tiny singer wins heart of nation

Lin Miaoke might be only 9 years old, but she is already well on her way to becoming a star, thanks to her heartwarming performance of Ode to the Motherland at Friday's opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics.

"She is delightful," Atul Dalakoti, executive director of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, told China Daily yesterday in Beijing.

Lin's performance was so charming that even Zhang Yimou, who directed the ceremony, was impressed, her mother Liu Zheping said.