Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leong Wai Man told public broadcaster TDM on Saturday that the 5-day pedestrianisation of San Ma Lou, the city’s main thoroughfare, is budgeted to cost about 2.6 million patacas, mainly for setting up installations and expenditure on management.
“Strolling through Almeida Ribeiro – Pilot Scheme for a Pedestrian Area” is the project’s official name.
San Ma Lou (“New Road”) is known in Portuguese as Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro.
Following the first three days of Chinese New Year (CNY) on January 22-24, the San Ma Lou pedestrianised area took place once again at the weekend, on the 14th and 15th days of CNY, i.e., on Saturday and yesterday’s Lantern Festival.
The Lantern Festival is a traditional Chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar Chinese calendar, during the full moon. It marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. The festival is also known as China’s Valentine’s Day.
Leong made the remarks while visiting San Ma Lou.
When asked whether the event will be held on a regular basis, Leong said that an overall review would be conducted after the event, taking into account the opinions of the other government entities including the Transport Bureau (DSAT) and Public Security Police (PSP), adding that her bureau would consider “regularising” the event if the five-day pilot scheme was well received by the public and proceeded smoothly.
Leong pointed out that the event on the first three days of the CNY reached her bureau’s expectations, while the number of visitors even exceeded its predictions.
According to Leong, due to the Lantern Festival, adjustments had been made to this weekend’s event, including the addition of lantern installations and cultural and creative booths that were different to the first three days, such as setting up stalls near shops on San Ma Lou and outside the nearby Tung Sin Tong Historical Archive Exhibition Hall to promote traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as well as extending the opening hours of the avenue’s Tak Seng On Pawnshop Museum until 10 p.m. and arranging guided tours in San Ma Lou, aiming to offer the event visitors a different experience and deepening their understanding of the history of San Ma Lou.
Regarding some residents’ complaints that part of the installations appeared on an online shopping platform in the mainland, Leong pointed out that the idea of the pilot scheme was to provide spots where people could take photos in San Ma Lou, adding: “Sometimes we don’t need very expensive artwork”.
Leong pointed out that there were also “top class” artworks set up by the city’s six gaming operators in the avenue, where people could enjoy a variety of different attractions.
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leong Wai Man talks to reporters during her visit to San Ma Lou on Saturday.
– Photo courtesy of TDM
Portuguese folk dancers perform in San Ma Lou yesterday. – Photo: Yuki Lei
