With the aim of drawing more visitors and business to the local community and thus boosting Macau’s economic diversification, MGM China Holdings Limited President and Executive Director Kenneth Feng Xiaofeng announced yesterday that the “10th International Lion Dance Championship 2023 - MGM Cup”, slated to take place on October 6-7, will be held in Barra Square in front of A-Ma Temple, promoting the city’s sports tourism, while also highlighting the “unique tourist attraction of religion, culture and tourism” of the temple known as “Ma Kok Miu” in Cantonese.
According to Feng, the two-day event, organised by MGM and the Dragon & Lion Dance Federation of Asia, in conjunction with the Wushu General Association of Macau (WGAM), has received support from the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Sports Bureau (ID), Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ), Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) and International Dragon and Lion Dance Federation, aiming to “promote and pass on Chinese traditions and Lingnan* culture”.
Since the first MGM Lion Dance Championship in 2010, according to a statement handed out during the press conference, the competition has received over 12 lion dance troupes from 15 countries and regions, across Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceania.
In addition to holding the MGM-brand sporting event in an outdoor venue for the first time, the first-ever “MGM Lion Dance Festival”, the press conference noted, will take place during the mainland’s weeklong Golden Week holiday including the Mid-Autum Festival on September 29 and National Day on October 1, “offering a diverse array of cultural happenings, such as an exhibition dedicated to intangible cultural heritage, handicraft workshops and lion dance-themed art installations, as well as a lion dance parade on the first day of the competition”.
In order to jointly promote the development of Macau’s tourism and leisure industry, as well as cultural and sport industries, MGM inked strategic cooperation agreements with the Dragon and Lion Dance Federation of Asia and the Chinese Dragon & Lion Dance Sports Association during yesterday’s press conference.
The US integrated resort operator yesterday held its press conference and “MGM Junior Lion Dance Summer Class” graduation ceremony at MGM COTAI.
During yesterday afternoon’s graduation ceremony, a total of 80 “young lion masters” received their certificates for their seven-week training programme.
*The Lingnan region covers Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong and Macau, involving its culture and architecture.
“Young lion masters” from the MGM Junior Lion Dance Summer Class perform during yesterday’s graduation ceremony at MGM COTAI. – Photo: Yuki Lei
