Message
On the occasion of the grand opening of the “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, on behalf of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, I would like to express my sincere congratulations to this grand cultural event as well as warmly welcome all invited artists from the Motherland, Portuguese-speaking countries and Macao!
Currently, Macao is in the process of establishing the “Cultural Exchange Centre between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”. In that sense, the “Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, one of the key cultural projects in that context, is precisely a factor that will contribute in the cultural field for the concrete implementation of Macao’s development plan and of the strategic deployment of the Central Government for the establishment of the “Commercial and Trade Cooperation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” in Macao, that bears great significance.
It is often said that culture is the expression of the soul and that art is the personification of passion. Chinese civilization and that of the Portuguese-speaking countries inherit the cultural genesis of different peoples simultaneously, reflecting their own spiritual characteristics and emotional orientations, as well as concentrating their long-standing historical wisdom and creative force. Thus, they are considered valuable resources for mutual learning, development and evolution. On the other hand, the exchange between the civilizations, made possible by its diversity, promotes mutual learning, which in turn, catalyses continuous progress, materializing consequently mutual benefits. This reality has become today a world trend and a broad consensus. On the occasion of the “Encounter in Macao”, we seek to build a platform and a bridge between different civilizations, in order to promote unity, friendship, mutual understanding, mutual learning, and shared prosperity.
The “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” aims at understanding and absorbing the cultural essence of different countries; promoting the cultural characteristics of Macao, having Chinese culture as mainstream but promoting the coexistence of diverse cultures; integrating into the general development of the country in opening up to the world; and contribute to the creation of the community of mankind with great effort and effective works. Although only two editions of the Festival were held, they have shown very promising and satisfactory results for their extensive participation, diversity of artistic scopes and forms, compatibility of different cultural needs, and sustainability of an innovative and continuous development.
The 3rd “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” not only shows the wisdom and imagination of the participants, but also brings more positive creations and fruitful achievements.
Ao Ieong U
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government
Preface
Nowhere is too far for a long journey
In the 16th century, the Portuguese voyages of discovery unleashed the power of the world to shape globalization. Since then, the hidden half of the earth was revealed and the Portuguese travelled farther and farther south of the equator, bypassing the Cape of Good Hope in Africa before reaching India and Macao. This extensive and epic voyage has brought great and impressive impacts on culture, art, food, history and language globally. It also directly shaped Macao’s characteristics and history as a city where East meets West.
When we enjoy Portuguese egg tarts at a café near the Belém Tower in Lisbon and look at the coast where the Portuguese set sail, we can always think of stories about how this country and Macao, as well as of the Portuguese-speaking countries, met in Macao from the sea.
Three years ago, the “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” was established from the historical continuity and under the plan of integrating Macao into the global development of China, contributing to the establishment of Macao as a cultural exchange centre between China and Portuguese-speaking countries through cultural transmission and the spirit of innovation. By showing the cultural and artistic achievements of China and Portuguese-speaking countries, it could promote diverse dialogues and communication between people, improving the cultural exchanges and cooperation between the China and Portuguese-speaking countries and enriching the connotation of the Humanistic Greater Bay Area.
The 3rd “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” features the Lusofonia Festival, the Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community, the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival, the Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, and The Belt and Road Cultural Talk Series - Samba and Dance, bringing us a warm welcome to autumn and winter. The most notable section is the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival under the theme “The Gourmets of Cinema”, which brings an overlapping effect in collaboration with local restaurants, so that film aficionados can deeply appreciate the attitude of “Everyone deserves good food”. This is particularly significant in Macao, which was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. It is not just the food, but also the values of the city behind the food: a city accommodates all cultures just like the ocean accommodates all rivers. All of this reminds me again of the “Belém” egg tarts in Lisbon, as well as the cinnamon spice, coffee and so on. It seems that the flavour of global gastronomy has been formed as early as a long voyage hundreds of years ago.
Today, whether it is the gastronomy feast or the spiritual feast of the Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries, it is worth enjoying. Bom apetite!
Mok Ian Ian
President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government
Culture shapes life, exchange brings happiness
Chinese and Western cultures have always coexisted harmoniously in Macao. The “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” was launched for the first time in 2018 and since then, it has established an attractive annual meeting, forming a mechanism for regular exchange between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries in Macao, implementing and continuously deepening the establishment of Macao as a “Cultural Exchange Centre between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”.
The programme of the 3rd “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” includes the Lusofonia Festival, the Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community, the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival, the Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, and The Belt and Road Culture Talk Series - Samba and Dance, among others. In autumn and winter, this year’s Festival will bring the culture and customs of Portuguese-speaking countries to the community through an array of activities, building Macao as a platform for cultural exchange between China and Portuguese-speaking countries and promoting heartwarming exchanges. Through the cultural performances, traditional song and dance, and cinema of the Portuguese-speaking communities, the Festival showcases the diverse and inclusive values of Macao and its historical evolution throughout centuries of harmonious coexistence without loss of identity.
Taking culture as link and art as the medium, let’s meet at the Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries this autumn.