The “Temple Tracking Cultural & Creative Market” was held on Saturday, aiming to enhance the public awareness of temple culture.
Macau Temple Festival Cultural Promotion Association Honorary President Lo Seng Chung said in a speech during the opening ceremony, this event launched in Hong Kung Temple Square, centring on Macau’s national intangible cultural heritage – the “Na Tcha Belief and Customs” –showcases three centuries of local cultural memory. Organised under the government’s initiative, the event aims to revitalise historic neighbourhoods by blending traditional folk beliefs with contemporary creative designs.
Lo also said this innovative approach allows residents and visitors to immerse themselves in Macau’s unique Sino-Western cultural charm while injecting new vitality into the community economy. He noted that the project serves both as a rediscovery of urban cultural roots and a significant practice of innovative heritage preservation.
In addition to the opening ceremony, the event featured a Na Tcha-themed cosplay competition on that day. Event goers could vote for their favourite contestants by giving stickers to the contestants, with the highest-voted participant winning 600 patacas.
Nezha (哪吒), aka Nezha the Crown Prince (哪吒太子) is a protection deity in Taoism, Buddhism, and Chinese folk religion. Nezha, a famous figure in Chinese mythology, is a divine hero whose origins are rooted in ancient Chinese folklore and religious traditions. According to the mythological narrative, Nezha was born during the Shang Dynasty (商朝, around 1600–1046 BCE), as his story is closely tied to the Investiture of the Gods (封神演义), a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel set in that era.
The event will run every Saturday and Sunday from August 2 to August 24, operating from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Additionally, every Saturday between 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., a special activity titled “In-depth tour of Na Tcha Temple” will be held, guiding participants through the Na Tcha Temple in Calçada das Verdades and the Na Tcha Temple next to the Ruins of St. Paul’s, as well as the creative market, as well as a shadow puppet show and hands-on workshop. For detailed information, please visit the official Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/macautemple
Visitors attend the “Temple Tracking Cultural & Creative Market” on its opening day in Hong Kung Temple Square, on Saturday. – Photos by Armindo Neves
Ne zha cosplayers strike a pose during Saturday’s competition.
Event goers in a “Shadow Puppetry Workshop” during the “Temple Tracking Cultural & Creative Market” in Hong Kung Temple Square.
