The sixth edition of the “Encounter in Macau – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” kicked off yesterday outside the Taipa Houses museum complex, marking the start of nearly 70 activities to be held between this month and December.
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Deland Leong Wai Man delivered a speech during the launch ceremony, saying that the bureau expects the “rich and colourful programme event” to help residents and tourists alike gain a deeper understanding of Macau’s urban characteristics and cultural connotations of “inclusive and harmonious co-existence of Chinese and Western cultures” and, at the same time, give full play to Macau’s role as a “a base for exchange and cooperation where diverse cultures coexist with Chinese culture as the mainstream”, while serving as a bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, deepening cultural and artistic exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and promoting the development of a cultural exchange centre between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, thus adding “colours” to the establishment of a “Cultured Bay Area”.
According to Leong, once again to be held in parallel with the “2024 GEG Lusofonia Festival”, the “representative brand event” of the Encounter in Macau – Arts and Cultural Festival, through programmes such as “Chinese and Portuguese Picture Book Fair”, “Memories • Legacies • Mutations - Annual Arts Exhibition between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries”, “GEG Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community”, “China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival”, “Wine tasting workshops”, “Tito Paris Concert with the Macao Chinese Orchestra”, features 70 sessions with more than 700 artists and performers at historical cultural heritage buildings, local neighbourhoods and modern theatres.
Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) is one of Macau’s six integrated resort operators. Tito Paris 61, is a Lisbon-based Cabo Verdean singer and musician.
Leong added that this year’s Lusofonia Festival will be held for an extended period of two weekends from October 25-27 and November 1-3 at the Taipa Houses, with special emphasis on the local culture of Goa, Damão and Diu in India, while the Annual Arts Exhibition between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries has been enlarged and relocated to the Macau Museum of Art (MAM) in Nape, displaying 136 artworks by 23 artists from the mainland, Macau, Portugal, and Cabo Verde.
“Lusofonia” is a Portuguese term denoting the world’s Portuguese-speaking community. Portugal was known as “Lusitania” when it was a Roman province between 27 BC and 410 AD.
Leong told the media after the ceremony that this year’s programme budget amounts to about 8.6 million patacas, lower than that of the previous year.
Goa Groovie Band, a local Portuguese art group, performs during yesterday’s kick-off ceremony of the “Encounter in Macau – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” at the waterfront Taipa Houses museum complex. – Photos: Yuki Lei
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Deland Leong Wai Man delivers a speech during the ceremony.
