The “Parade through Macao, Latin City”, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) in celebration of the 15th Anniversary of Macao’s Handover to China, will be held on 14 December according to the concept “Peace, Love and Cultural Integration”. The event gathers local and foreign performing groups from different countries that will put on a show through characteristic streets of Macao in an unforgettable journey of cultural fusion under the motto “An Annual Celebration for the Entire City – VIVA”.
The storyline of this edition of the Parade is a party in space, describing the birth of alien force in a faraway galaxy that spreads the ancient and unique Latin culture, but which world, due to the impact of the quick technological development, has lost colour and shine. Luckily, on Earth the Parade’s mascot, VIVA, launches the power of “Peace, Love and Cultural Integration” onto space, helping the alien culture recover its colours and prolonging joy, to the world’s joy.
IC has organised on 23 November, at 2 pm, at the SCM Old Ladies’ House, a Press Conference on the “Parade through Macao, Latin City” as well as the “VIVA Launch into Space” ceremony. In the press conference, a promotional video for the event was screened, where a mysterious alien being was seen landing on Tap Seac Square, raising the population’s expectations. Local musicians and singers performed the event’s theme song “Go!Go!Ole!”, adding to the cheerful atmosphere. The President of IC, Ung Vai Meng, played the role of captain taking representatives of the supporting entities and performing groups into space and giving strength to VIVA, entrusting him with the role of Goodwill Ambassador of the Universe and the task to take off into space on 14 December. The organisation also set up a candy corner and a photography zone under the event’s theme, as well as an exhibition of the winning works of last year’s photography contest. It distributed souvenirs among the population, creating a Parade promotion day, allowing the public to experience firsthand the joyful atmosphere.
As the largest outdoor event in celebration of Macao’s Handover to China, the “Parade through Macao, Latin City” has been very successful since its first edition in 2011. It was watched by over 100 thousand spectators, among participants, viewers of televised emissions and of outdoor screens set up around the city, making it an unprecedented event. The organisation established cooperation agreements with TV stations from Mainland China and Hong Kong which will broadcast the Parade and will send the most remarkable local performing groups abroad. In the past two years, representatives of four local groups have respectively participated in carnivals in France and Italy, promoting the Parade’s name even further and showing Macao’s cultural characteristics to the world.
The “Parade through Macao, Latin City” is organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and is co-organised by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Macao Government Tourist Office, the Public Security Police Force, the Transport Bureau, the Fire Services Bureau, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Macao and the Macao Association for the Promotion of Exchange between Asia-Pacific and Latin America. It is also supported by various organisations, including the Macao General Union of Neighbourhood Associations, the Macao Sam Pa Mun Residents Mutual Aid Association, the Macao Soi Ho Cheok Residents Mutual Aid Association, as well as VIVA Ambassadors supporters, namely the Recreation Club of the Bank of China – Macao Branch, the Macao Community Youth Volunteers Development Association, the General Volunteers Association of Macao and the Association of Social Service Volunteers Macao. This edition is also fully supported by Air Macao Co, Ltd. In addition, TDM (Teledifusão de Macau, S.A.) is serving as the designated television broadcaster.
Present in the opening ceremony were Secretary General of the Liason Office of the Central People’s Government in the MSAR, Sun Da; President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng; President of the Board of the Macao Association for the Promotion of Exchange between Asia-Pacific and Latin America, Gary Ngai; Vice-President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leung Hio Ming; Acting Vice-President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Chan Peng Fai; Head of the Department of Cultural Activities and Recreation of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, Choi Chi Hong; Representative of the Executive Committee of Teledifusão de Macau and Acting Director of the Chinese Programming Division of TDM, Ltd., Lok Kong; Chief of the Cultural Activities Department of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Kent Ieong; Acting Chief of the Department for the Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Ieng Va, Chief of the Special Projects Division of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Boyce Lam.
