6th “Encounter in Macao - Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” and “2024 GEG Lusofonia Festival” inaugurated showcasing the glamour of diverse cultures and facilitating international cultural and artistic exchange

Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, with the support of the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Municipal Affairs Bureau, TDM - Teledifusão de Macau, S.A., and Air Macau Company Limited, the 6^th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” is held from October to December this year. The event is held in parallel with the “2024 GEG Lusofonia Festival”, and also features 70 sessions of activities in seven series, including the “Annual Arts Exhibition between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries”, the “China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival”, the “Tito Paris Concert with the Macao Chinese Orchestra”, the “Chinese and Portuguese Picture Book Fair”, the “GEG Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community”, and wine tasting workshops, counting with the participation of nearly 700 artists and performers, revealing the splendour of cultural integration between different regions, offering residents and tourists multicultural experiences.

The opening ceremony of the 6^th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” and the “2024 GEG Lusofonia Festival” was held on 25 October at the Amphitheatre of the Taipa Houses and was officiated by the Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ho Ioc San; the Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Bai Bing; the Counselor and Director of the Department of Information and Public Diplomacy of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Gao Yuan; the Consul-General of the Republic of Angola in the Macao SAR, Eduardo Velasco Galiano; the Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim of the Consulate General of Mozambique in the Macao SAR, Aurélio de Jesus Chiconela; the Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), Ji Xianzheng; the Vice-Consul for Commercial Affairs and Investment of Portugal in Macao, Bernardo Pinho; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man; the Deputy Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Hoi Io Meng; the Chairman of the Executive Committee of Teledifusão de Macau, S.A., Lo Song Man; the Chief Operating Officer of Galaxy Entertainment Group, Kevin Kelley; the Acting Head of Department of Cultural and Recreational Affairs and Civic Education of the Municipal Affairs Bureau, Au Chan Weng; and the Attorney of Air Macau Company Limited, Zhang Yun; and was attended by the Member of the Administrative Committee of the Cultural Development Fund, Chan Ka Io; the Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Cheang Kai Meng; the Chief Marketing Officer of Wynn Macau, Limited, Zoe Zou; the members of the Cultural Heritage Committee and representatives of various cooperative entities.

Lusofonia Festival held for an extended period of two weekends

Jointly organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Galaxy Entertainment Group, the “2024 GEG Lusofonia Festival” is held for an extended period of two weekends (Friday to Sunday) for the first time from 25 October to 3 November at the Taipa Houses. Combining music and dance, games, gastronomy and cultures from different Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, the Festival allows residents and tourists to experience the exuberant vitality of these countries and gain a deeper understanding of their rich cultural connotations.

Embracing its 27^th edition this year, the Lusofonia Festival will focus on the culture of Goa, Damão and Diu, and chefs and artists from the region were specially invited to present their local specialities and the art of body painting in Macao. The six-day event features cultural exhibitors from ten Portuguese-speaking communities residing in Macao, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Goa, Daman and Diu, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor, as well as the Macanese communities.  

Music and dance performances will also be presented by 10 art groups from the Portuguese-speaking countries and regions and 35 local art groups on the main stage at the Taipa Amphitheatre, Taipa Houses, and the secondary stage in Largo do Carmo. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, visitors of all ages can participate in the Portuguese traditional games at Largo do Carmo, including ski race, sack race, wooden spoon race, climbing the tallow stick, tug of war, throwing the ball, rings on the crosspiece, rolling cars, amongst other, as well as table football tournaments and various games for children. A temporary restaurant will operate in the Taipa Municipal Garden, serving grilled food and typical Portuguese specialties, and in the evening in Largo do Carmo, different specialties from participating countries and regions will be served, and light music performances will be presented. There will be a temporary kiosk installed at the entrance of the Taipa Houses, serving typical Portuguese snacks and drinks.

Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries facilitates cultural and artistic exchange through diverse cultural activities

The “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” is launched concurrently. During the Lusofonia Festival, the “Chinese and Portuguese Picture Book Fair” is held from 25 October to 3 November at the Taipa Houses (Nostalgic House), displaying and selling over 500 picture books and children’s books. Various outreach activities including book promotion sessions, workshops, thematic talks and “Picture books Reading by 100 people” are also available, in order to facilitate the development of Macao as a “City of Reading”. Themed “Memories‧Legacies‧Mutations”, the “Annual Arts Exhibition between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries”, jointly organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A., will present over 130 pieces/sets of artworks by more than 20 artists from Mainland China, Macao and the Portuguese-speaking countries at the Macao Museum of Art and the Exhibitions Gallery of the Taipa Houses from 25 October 2024 until 9 February 2025. The public artworks will be presented at Rua da Felicidade from January 2025.

With the continuous support with Galaxy Entertainment Group, the China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival, themed “Creating an Interesting Contrast”, will be held from 22 November to 13 December, presenting nearly 30 outstanding films from China and the Portuguese-speaking countries at the Galaxy Cinemas, Galaxy Macau™ and the Cinematheque · Passion. The “Outdoor Screening – New Visual Forces in Macau” will be held at the Lai Chi Vun Shipyards area on 7 December, featuring four short films from this year’s “Local View Power” Programme. The “Tito Paris Concert with the Macao Chinese Orchestra” will be held on 15 November. Under the baton of the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Macao Chinese Orchestra, Zhang Lie, Tito Paris will perform his songs adapted to traditional Chinese instruments. This year, the “GEG Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community”, jointly organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Galaxy Entertainment Group, is held for an extended period of two weekends, introducing passionate and festive music and dance performances by the artistic group Guangdong Zhongshan Torch Singing and Dance Troupe from Mainland China, and eight art troupes from the Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, in different districts and tourist attractions in Macao.

In addition, the wine tasting workshops will be held on 23 and 30 November, and 7 December. Interested parties can register through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account (activity.mo.gov.mo/activity-h5/activity-list-web) from today. If the number of the registrants exceeds the maximum number of participants, participants will be selected by drawing lots and will be notified by SMS.

The 6^th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” is held as part of the 4^th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture and Arts Festival, contributing toward the development of a Cultured Greater Bay Area, leveraging Macao’s role as a cultural exchange centre for China and the Portuguese-speaking countries, taking culture as the link and arts as the carrier, unleashing the charm of Macao as a city of Sino-Portuguese cultural and artistic encounter, and contributing to the establishment of Macao as “a base for exchange and cooperation where diverse cultures coexist with Chinese culture as the mainstream”.

For more information, please visit the “Encounter in Macau – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” website www.icm.gov.mo/FCP.