BEIJING — A record 9,000 couples plan to tie the knot here Friday to celebrate the opening of the Olympic Games and to take advantage of the lucky date, 8/8/08.

The Chinese government chose the day to kick off the two weeks of sporting competitions because the number eight is considered lucky. In Mandarin, the word "eight" sounds like "prosper."

Lovers in Beijing have been responding with passion ever since registration offices began booking Olympic weddings in June, says Wang Miao, director of marriage registration for Beijing's Chongwenmen district.

"We have never been so busy," Wang says.

Liu Huiling and her fiance, Liu Peng, are one of those couples. "We want to show our support for the Olympics, a century-old dream for China, and take part in a major event," says Liu Huiling, 24, an office assistant. "Who knows if we will ever see another Olympics?"

Her fiance, Liu Peng, 25, a travel agent, notes that their wedding also falls one day after China's own Valentine's Day, a date set by the traditional lunar calendar. Thousands of other happy couples share the same wedding plan, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. The 9,000 pairs will more than double Beijing's previous single-day marriage record.

To marry on Aug. 8, couples must register in advance and line up on that day to get the marriage license. The social "wedding" banquet comes later.