Yuki Lei
Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes announced yesterday that the annual Chinese New Year (CNY) parade will take place, respectively, in the city centre and the northern district on February 12 and February 17 which are the 3rd and 8th days of the Lunar New Year, with 15 “splendid” floats, in conjunction with about 1,000 performers from the mainland, Macau, Hong Kong and overseas, welcoming the Year of the Dragon together with residents and visitors alike.
Senna Fernandes made the remarks during a press conference about the “Celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macau SAR – Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Dragon 2024”, at the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre.
The raft of CNY celebratory events, guided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is organised by MGTO in conjunction with the Asia Tourism Exchange Centre (ATEC), Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM), Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Sports Bureau (ID) as well as Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
According to the press conference, the first and second float parade on the 3rd and 8th days of the Lunar New Year will start, respectively, at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. from Sai Van Lake Square, moving along Avenida Dr Sun Yat-Sen until they reach Macau Fisherman’s Wharf, as well as from the University of St. Joseph and St. Joseph Diocesan College Six, passing along Estrada Marginal da Ilha Verde, Avenida do Conselheiro Borja, Estrada do Arco, Estrada da Areia Preta, Avenida de Venceslau de Morais, Rua Quatro do Bairro da Areia Preta, Avenida da Longevidade, Rua do Mercado de Iao Hon, and ending at Iao Hon Market Garden.
The press conference noted that more than 2,500 seats for spectators will be available in Sai Van Lake Square, Avenida Dr Sun Yat-Sen, the front square of Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre and the roundabout in front of the Macau Science Centre, with a few barrier-free vantage points being provided at spectator stands for people with special needs, reminding spectators to enter the stands from 5:30 p.m. onward for the first float parade.
In her remarks, Senna Fernandes said she expected the two float parades to ignite the city’s economic vitality at night. Speaking to the media after the press conference, Senna Fernandes said that with the increase in performing troupes from overseas, the budget for the two parades this year will up by 25 percent from last year’s, reaching about 33 million patacas this time.
The CNY celebratory events also include three firework shows, slated to be held on the 3rd, 7th and 15th days of the Lunar New Year, i.e., on February 12, 16 and 24, off Macau Tower. The first and second days of the firework displays will start at 9:45 p.m. while the last show will begin at 9 p.m., according to the press conference.
The 7th day of the CNY is known as Everyone’s Birthday (“Renri” – 人日 – aka “People’s Day”), while the 15th day of the CNY marks the Lantern Festival.
Lunar New Year greetings will be given to residents and tourists by Caishen (God of Wealth – 財神), the gods of the three stars – Fuk (Fortune), Luk (Prosperity), and Sau (Longevity) (福祿壽), the Dragon zodiac (龍生肖), the Golden Boy and Jade Girl (金童玉女), MGTO mascot “Mak Mak” and the traditional Dragon and Lion Dance on the 1st and 2nd days of the CNY on February 10 and 11.
Senna Fernandes told reporters that MGTO has set aside a budget of at least 37 million patacas for the celebratory events, of which the firework shows account for more than 3 million patacas. The tourism chief also said she expected the event to attract up to 120,000 daily visitors on average during the mainland’s CNY holiday from February 10 through February 17. In the Chinese mainland, the CNY is officially known as the Spring Festival.
A press conference about the upcoming “Celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macau SAR – Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Dragon 2024”, hosted by Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes (centre, front row), is held at the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre yesterday.
– Photo: Yuki Lei
