The annual Tap Siac Craft Market in Spring, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), opened yesterday and will take place in two segments, from yesterday through Sunday and from May 1 to May 4 in the eponymous square.
It was announced during the opening ceremony that there are over 200 handicraft and gastronomy stalls operated by cultural and creative industry entities from Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, China’s Taiwan region, Macau, the mainland and Hong Kong showcasing and selling a wide range of original cultural and creative products, including daily necessities, clothing and accessories, handicrafts, as well as natural and handmade products.
Meanwhile, various music performances by musicians from Macau, the mainland and Hong Kong, as well as over 60 creative handicraft workshops are also being held. Successful applicants for the workshops are advised to attend on time.
The opening ceremony, which was held in the square yesterday, was officiated by Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Delan Leong Wai Man; the deputy director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Bai Bing; Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) President Chao Wai Ieng; Cultural Development Fund (FDC) President Cheong Kin Hong; and the director of the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Fong Fong Tan.
Singer Lily Chan (陳潔麗) performed at the opening ceremony.
Addressing yesterday’s opening ceremony, Leong noted that coinciding with the “Culture City 2025 of East Asia—Macao, China”, the Craft Market in Spring welcomes returning participants from Japan and South Korea, alongside newcomers from Malaysia and Thailand, all of whom will exchange creative experiences, promoting mutual learning among cultures, thus further expanding Macau’s international “circle of friends”.
Leong went on to say in her speech that as the Cultural Affairs Bureau has proactively encouraged the city’s cultural and creative industries’ expansion outside Macau in recent years, the “Craft Market in the Greater Bay Area” project will be expanded to the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and Hong Kong this year, with the aim of accessing broader markets.
Additionally, last month the Cultural Affairs Bureau organised an IP Authorisation Lecture and the participation of cultural and creative entities from Macau in the Hong Kong International Licensing Show, aiming to elevate Macau’s creative brands, enhance industry competitiveness and promote the sustainable development of the cultural and creative industries.
The Tap Siac Craft Market is held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Tap Siac is the Bureau’s alternative spelling for Tap Seac.
Visitors walk around the just-opened Tap Siac Market in Spring yesterday afternoon. – Photos: Ida Cheong
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Deland Leong Wai Man speaks at the opening ceremony of Tap Siac Craft Market in Spring held yesterday in Praça do Tap Seac.
