Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and co-organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office, the 3rd “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” will be held from November to December this year, featuring six highlights, namely 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, The Belt and Road Cultural Talk Series - Samba and Dance, and the Taipa Houses 100th Anniversary Activities. The Festival not only showcases the diverse cultures of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, but also implements and deepens the establishment of Macao as a “Cultural Exchange Centre between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, offering residents and tourists a unique Sino-Portuguese cultural experience.
The press conference of the 3rd “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” was held today (28 October) at the Cultural Affairs Bureau Building, and was attended by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mok Ian Ian; the President of the Administration Committee on Municipal Affairs of the Municipal Affairs Bureau, José Maria da Fonseca Tavares; the Deputy Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Cheng Wai Tong; the Advisor of Galaxy Entertainment Group, Dr. Jorge Neto Valente; the President of Sociedade de Artes Bambú, Limitada, Carlos Marreiros; the President of the Art For All Society Macau, Alice Kok; and the Director of the Institute for Social and Cultural Research of the Macau University of Science and Technology, Lin Guangzhi.
This edition of the “Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” brings 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 heart-warming 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.
Lusofonia Festival boosts the effect of the Festival
The “Lusofonia Festival” will be integrated in this year’s “Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, allowing the public to participate in the activities under the theme of Portuguese customs and culture, enriching their cultural experience and enhancing the effect of the Festival. Over the three days of the Festival, different booths of the Macao Portuguese-speaking communities from ten countries and regions, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Goa, Daman and Diu, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor and the Macanese community, will be set up, introducing their countries or regions’ traditional music, arts and crafts, traditional costumes, gastronomy and tourist information, allowing the public to experience the long-standing culture and festival traditions of different regions.
Bringing together outstanding films and artworks; opening a window for the public to experience art
The “China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival”, themed “The Gourmets of Cinema”, features 30 outstanding films from China and Portuguese-speaking countries, making residents and tourists discover Macao; the “Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” features two exhibitions, namely “Symbiosis” and “Embrace of Diversity”, bringing together contemporary artworks from Macao, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and eight Portuguese-speaking countries, and opening a window for the public to experience the diversity of Chinese and Portuguese arts. Furthermore, the “Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” will bring a series of passionate and enthusiastic performances to the community. The Dance and Singing Group of Fujian Province and six local Portuguese-speaking artistic groups will offer traditional music and dance performances, showcasing the unique charm of Chinese and Portuguese performing arts and culture, creating a festive atmosphere.
Taipa Houses 100th Anniversary Activities and Cultural Talk Series on Portuguese literature enhance the public’s knowledge of the cultural content
In order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Taipa Houses, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will hold a series of themed activities, including “Guided Tours at Taipa Houses” and “Paper Cut Light Box DIY Workshop”, allowing the public to learn about the distinctive features of the Taipa Houses as well as its historical stories and surrounding communities from different perspectives. In addition, the participants of the guided tours can receive a Taipa Houses shaped three-dimensional memo pad as a souvenir.
In “The Belt and Road Cultural Talk Series - Samba and Dance”, Jin Xinyi and Zhang Jianbo, two specialists in Portuguese literature and cultural studies, will be invited to present two talks entitled “Feminist Literature in the Portuguese-speaking African Countries” and “Brazilian Literature and the Image of Brazil in the World of Literature” respectively, offering the public an immersive tour through the culture of the Portuguese-speaking countries, jointly exploring the active role of Portuguese-speaking countries in the cultural exchange promoted by the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.
Admission to the Taipa Houses 100th Anniversary Activities and “The Belt and Road Cultural Talk Series - Samba and Dance” is free. Interested parties can register from 10am on 29 October through the “Activities Registration System” on the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/eform/event.
Those interested in participating in the aforementioned activities can visit the webpage of the 3rd “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” at www.icm.gov.mo/FCP, follow the “IC Art” page on Facebook and subscribe to its official WeChat account “IC_Art_Macao”.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau will strictly follow the relevant anti-epidemic guidelines of the Health Bureau and implement appropriate measures for cultural activities. All participants must wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks, present a valid “Macao Health Code” of the day, and comply with the epidemic control measures and crowd control measures on site.