The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said in a statement last Wednesday that its “Strolling through Almeida Ribeiro – Pilot Scheme for a Pedestrian Area”, which started on Chinese New Year’s Day on January 22 had attracted about 93,000 visitors by last Tuesday, the third day of the Chinese New Year.
San Ma Mou is Macau's main thoroughfare.
The pilot scheme, which is co-hosted by government entities such as the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Transport Bureau (DSAT), Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Public Security Police (PSP), Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) and Fire Services Bureau (CB), in conjunction with the city’s six gaming operators, will continue from 12 p.m. this coming Saturday through 10 p.m. on Sunday to celebrate the Lantern Festival by activating the “traditional area” with art and culture, the statement noted.
Lantern Festival (aka Shangyuan Festival) is a Chinese traditional festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar, during the full moon, according to Wikipedia.
This year’s Lantern Festival falls on this coming Sunday.
The 450-metre-long pedestrianised area, which will be located in Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro (aka “San Ma Lou” in Cantonese – New Road), will once again be transformed into an “Urban Forest” this coming weekend, the statement said, adding that a variety of programmes, special catering, cultural and creative products and light food, as well as display booths for the items on Macau’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, will once again be presented during the event.
Coinciding with the event, according to the statement, the section of San Ma Lou from Rua do Guimarães to Rua Central will be closed to traffic from 8 a.m. on Saturday to 12 a.m. on Sunday.
San Ma Lou is Macau’s main thoroughfare.
Locals comment on people flow in San Ma Lou pedestrian area: vox pop
Meanwhile, two local residents and two local business owners were interviewed by The Macau Post Daily at the San Ma Lou pedestrian area last Tuesday, with most saying that the number of people visiting San Ma Lou had increased during the event.
A local woman, surnamed Lei, pointed out that the people flow in San Ma Lou had improved compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic. Lei also said that in addition to improving the people flow in the local main thoroughfare, the government’s plan of turning San Ma Lou into a pedestrianised area during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holidays could also boost Macau’s economy. However, according to Lei, San Ma Lou pedestrianised area should only be implemented during festival periods, as it could cause traffic congestion if it was closed to traffic on working days.
Chio, a female resident, said that thanks to the government’s pilot scheme for a pedestrian area, the number of people visiting San Ma Lou during the event had increased a lot, adding that local business during the days “did very well as everyone probably spent more”. However, Chio pointed out that although the people flow had improved these days, it was still less than when compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic.
Chan, who owns a ginseng and dried seafood shop in San Ma Lou area, had a different perspective to Chio and said: “The event attracts many people, yet the amount she had sold was not satisfactory”, adding that although there was a large number of people visiting the area during the event, her business “had not improved a lot”.
Wong, a male stall owner, told The Macau Post Daily that with the resumption of COVID-19 test-free travelling restrictions between Macau and the mainland, the number of people travelling to Macau had increased these days, which he described as a “short-term improvement”. Wong said that there were still different factors affecting mainlanders travelling to Macau in the long term, adding Macau was their first preference for the time being when it was “relatively difficult” for them to travel abroad, followed by Hong Kong.
A family takes photo in front of a large rabbit installation last Tuesday at the San Ma Lou pedestrianised area. – Photo: Maria Cheang Ut Meng
