Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), and other governmental and non-governmental organizations, the “2018 Macao International Parade”, in celebration of the 19th anniversary of Macao’s Handover to China, will be held on Sunday, 16 December. In order to entreat success to the event, IC held a worship ceremony including a lion dance performance today (14 December), at the Largo da Companhia de Jesus, in a cheerful and lively atmosphere, attracting many spectators.
The Organiser invited the event’s coordinating staff, the supporting entities and representatives of the performing groups to attend the ceremony. Representatives of art groups attended the event in full costume, creating a lively atmosphere. This year the Parade presents a culturally rich Handover celebration, highlighting the cultural encounter between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, and featuring classical myths and folklore of the respective countries and regions. The Parade features 76 performing groups in a total of over 1,700 participants, who will sing and dance along with residents and tourists along the Parade route, finally arriving at the Sai Van Lake Square at 6:30pm. Huge balloons of various mythological and folklore figures will appear in the sky, while spectacular fireworks will be launched at the Macao Tower, celebrating with the public in a festive and carnival atmosphere.
In order to encourage local art groups to showcase their creativity, the Parade also features numerous prizes. Residents can vote in their favourite participating group. A photography contest, games with prizes and other creative activities are also launched. The Parade will be broadcast live on TDM, Teledifusão de Macau S.A., and TDM HD from 3pm to 7pm on the day of the event, while a Parade Special Programme dedicated to the event’s highlights will be broadcast at 10:30pm on 22 December on Hong Kong TVB Jade Channel, in order to allow the audiences to review the highlights of the event.
On the day of Parade, crowd control measures will be implemented and some streets will be temporarily closed to traffic. The public is thus advised to walk to the Parade venues on foot or use public transportation. For more information about the Parade, please visit the Parade’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/macaoparade or follow “Macao International Parade” page on Facebook and IC’s WeChat account “ICMacao”.