Interview by William Chan
The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) will hold its 23rd Macao City Fringe Festival from September 5 to 28, featuring 18 programmes and 13 outreach activities across 28 venues. The Post interviewed the creators of two festival programmes last week, exploring their unique and unorthodox takes on artistic performance.
‘Thanks for Being Here’
“Thanks for Being Here”, created and performed by Malaysia-based artist Suzuki Cheng (程嘉敏), aims to convey her personal story. “The genuine feelings of pregnancy and parenting are difficult to grasp through mere observation; only firsthand experience can present the most authentic emotions”. As an artist, Cheng said, she hopes to transform these real feelings and physical experiences into an artwork to present to the audience.
According to Cheng, the word “thanks” in the title carries a double meaning: it expresses gratitude to her child for bringing different experiences and more courage into her life, but it also carries a more negative sentiment, reflecting the helplessness a mother sometimes feels when facing her child – a desire to scold yet an inability to do so. This oscillation between bliss and agony, akin to “shuttling between hell and heaven,” is an accurate portrayal of a mother’s daily life, she said.
The performance is set to take place in mid-September at the bookshop “Bookand” in the Praia do Manduco neighbourhood. Cheng chose this location because the bookshop once provided her with immense emotional comfort and solace by chance during her parenting journey, an experience that will be reflected in the work.
Besides, she pointed out that “Bookand” is a place she frequently visited before pregnancy, symbolising freedom and self-identity. Finally, aligning with the Fringe Festival’s concept that “everyone is an artist, every place is a stage,” she said, adding she hopes that mothers or citizens can easily access this life-adjacent space during short breaks in their daily lives, making the bookshop an ideal choice.
‘Herbal Tea Cultural Dev’t Association’
Meanwhile, concept artist and performer Jason Fong (馮兆恆) of the event series titled “Herbal Tea Cultural Development Association” addresses the gradual decline of herbal tea (涼茶), a traditional Chinese drink, in the urban life of modern society. The performance will be held at Pak Ka Cheong Herbal Tea on Rua da Felicidade (福隆新街), aiming to reignite the culture of drinking herbal tea in Macau.
Fong’s interest in herbal tea emerged by chance when his friend AK, a fellow performer in the show, invited him for herbal tea instead of coffee. This simple act sparked Fong’s curiosity about the history and culture surrounding the beverage. “Herbal tea carries many associations – some see it as a homemade soup served during family meals, while others think of commercialised cans sold in supermarkets,” Fong explained. Yet, despite these varied perceptions, the tradition of drinking herbal tea in a dedicated shop is fading, he said.
During his research, Fong learnt that herbal tea shops were once among the few establishments open late into the night on Macau’s streets. This was largely due to casino employees working round-the-clock shifts, who often stopped by for a drink on their way to or from work – making these shops some of the only sources of light in otherwise dark streets.
Despite herbal tea’s status as an intangible cultural heritage and the rich history embedded in these shops, Fong believes too little has been done to preserve this legacy in Macau. “For instance, when Wynn Macau attempted to revitalise Rua da Felicidade, they simply installed booths selling alcoholic drinks – a move that starkly contradicts the area’s character and overlooks its existing businesses,” he noted. “Through this performance, I hope to draw people into the atmosphere of the neighbourhood and reignite interest in herbal tea culture. I want to use this space to tell its story as authentically as possible – everything serves the goal of promoting herbal tea.”
For the schedule, venue details, and ticketing information of all performances and events at the Fringe Festival, visit:
https://macaucityfringe.gov.mo/2025/cn#page4
Performers AK (front) and Jason Fong rehearse at Pak Ka Cheong Herbal Tea on Rua da Felicidade earlier this month. – Photos provided by Fong
This undated file photo shows Suzuki Cheng posing with her daughter. – Photos provided by Cheng
