The eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calendar is the Bathing Buddha Festival. The sound of gongs and drums and firecrackers echoes across all the fish markets, followed by the overflowing of wine’s flavor and aroma, which brings the annual Drunken Dragon Festival to a climax. With a long history in Macao, the Drunken Dragon Festival features not only the “Drunken Dragon Dance”, but also the consumption of “longevity rice”,“Drunken Dragon Parade” and distribution of free “longevity rice”. Aside from being an unique traditional folk gala, it enables the Macao Fresh Fish and Commercial Association to unify its members and the activities benefit the community. In order to preserve and pass down the local intangible cultural heritage, with the joint-effort of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and the Macao Fresh Fish and Commercial Association, the Drunken Dragon Festival was enlisted in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Macao in 2009 and inscribed on the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Third Batch of Submissions in May 2011.
To further promote the intangible cultural heritage preservation and let people understand the Government’s work in heritage conservation, data compilation and relevant studies, in January this year, the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s subordinate Macau Museum held an exhibition entitled “The Soaring Dance —Drunken Dragon Festival in Macao”, for the youngsters to gain an in-depth understanding of Macau’s traditional folk custom and festivities. The organizer invited the mentors of the Penha Creative Centre to lead the students of Escola Católico Estrela do Mar to paint with the same theme. Introduced to the cultural values of local intangible cultural heritage and the significance of heritage protection, students generated ideas and produced their artwork under the guidance of the mentors, which eventually gave birth to eleven excellent pieces of different media that are being displayed at the same venue in the Museum.
In the two months and a half after the exhibition was opened, it has attracted over 42 thousand visitors, among which are residents and tourists as well as groups organized by schools and associations. In line with the exhibition, the organizer had invited Guest Professor of Macau Polytechnic Institute, Jiang Chun and the Director of Macau Fresh Fish and Commercial Association, Kwan Vai Meng, to host a seminar on Drunken Dragon Festival. Around 70 people attended the event. A “Workshop – To learn the Drunken Dragon Dance” was also held for youngsters to learn more about the local folk custom and participate in the dance. About 40 residents and young people took part in the workshop.
The exhibition mentioned above is being held in the exhibition gallery on the third floor of the Macao Museum and it will end on April 15 (Sunday). Residents, tourists and associations that are interested in Macao’s unique culture shall seize the chance to pay a visit. Well-designed paper drunken dragon figure keepsakes are available for sale in the Museum’s souvenir shop. The Macao Museum opens from 10 am to 6 pm (closed on Monday). On Sunday, the exhibition is free for Macao residents with valid identity card or student card. Relevant information can be accessed on the websites of the Cultural Affairs Bureau www.icm.gov.moand the Macao Museum www.macaumuseum.gov.mo. For enquiries, please contact the Museum at 2835 7911.
Enclosed pictures: Foreigners praise for the preservation of Macao’s Intangible Cultural Heritage
