Explore the Light: neighbourhoods to shine at festival

It’s rare to see fancy light installations in the city’s densely populated Northern District but this year’s Macau Light Festival is adding a sparkle to the area that aims to connect communities there, evoking memories and telling stories through thousands of lights.

This is the fifth year the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) is organising the Macau Light Festival. Themed “Explore the Light”, this year’s programme taking place from Sunday to December 31 will illuminate the city with light installations, interactive games and mapping shows in 15 locations from four routes, with the Northern District (“Bak Keui” in Cantonese) being included in the annual festival for the first time.

According to an MGTO statement, the Northern District has been added to the festival venues this year, inviting people to explore different communities where they can learn about Macau stories – and there are so many of them – through mapping shows highlighting the 20 years since Macau’s return to the motherland in December 1999.

6 teams, 4 routes

The mapping shows, presented by teams from the fellow Greater Bay Area (GBA) city of Shenzhen as well as Japan, Portugal, Spain and two local teams, will be projected onto landmarks and iconic buildings along the four themed routes.

The first route is themed “Light of Age” that will connect different places in the Northern District through different light installations, such as the “Eight Planets” at the sitting-out area in Rua do General Ivens Ferraz, “Space Travel” at the sitting-out area at Baía Norte do Patane and a mapping show at Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome in Fai Chi Kei showing collective memories of the now defunct dog-racing track.

The second route lights up the city centre and quaint S. Lázaro (St. Lazarus) neighbourhood under the theme “Light of Memory”. In this area, spectators can experience the fun of “Swinging Cascade” and “AR Magic Sandbox” at Largo do Pagode do Bazar. “Homey Lamp” at Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro will project different home lightings commonly used in different ages, which will mirror the changes in people’s lives in Macau, according to the MGTO statement.

“Light of Colours” will be the theme for the third route in Nam Van and Sai Van districts where there will be a cascade projection titled “Floating Wonder”, a mega light installation “Glistening Lotus” and many others. A 12-metre-tall version of tourism mascot Mak Mak, inspired by the extremely rare black-faced spoonbills that have made Macau one of the few remaining homes, will be greeting visitors at Anim’Arte Nam Van, where there will also be a “Flow of Melody” piano performance with a light installation. Beneath the white canopy at Nam Van, visitors can send their best wishes for Macau onto a screen through the festival’s mobile app.

Taipa is where the fourth route is, covering Our Lady of Carmel Parish which includes the bucolic Taipa Houses area, Largo dos Bombeiros (“Firemen’s Square”) and the square in front of Pak Tai Temple. The main theme for the area is “Light of Harmony”, with a mapping show titled “Carnival” to be staged at Largo dos Bombeiros to showcase cultural gems and culinary delights from Portugal, to highlight Macau’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.

Mapping of 20 years

Besides the routes, the main mapping shows created by the six teams under the themes on Macau’s 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland will be projected on the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ruins of St. Paul’s and S. José Seminary Church.

Each attraction will have three shows, with the Spanish team presenting “Bloom”, the Shenzhen team “The Adventures of Snow” and a local team “The Time of Joy”.

According to MGTO’s information, “Bloom” will highlight the beauty of the architectural design of the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Macau’s unique cultural legacy while celebrating birth and prosperity, presented with blend of modern tunes and traditional instrumental music from China and Portugal as background music.

“The Adventures of Snow” follows the journey of a snowflake as it floats past delicacies, enjoying the thrill of motorsport and visiting a magnificent church.

“The Time of Joy” will weave patterns and rhythms into the story of Macau as a fishing village in the old days, the cityscape in cultural harmony and the joyful celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR).

“Macau’s Light Journey” will revisit Macau’s historic moments such as its centuries-old role as an East-meets-West hub and the listing of its historic centre as UNESCO World Heritage, apart from the city’s multi-culinary gastronomy and rich diversity of festivals.

“Prism” will depict Macau’s multifaceted stories using 20 new-model programmable LED lights, expressing best wishes for the city’s continuous progress in social harmony.

“Let’s ‘20’ Together!” will celebrate the MSAR’s 20th anniversary by displaying Macau’s flourishing development in the last two decades and the city’s future brimming with dreams and hopes, according to the statement.

The Macau Light Festival kicks off on Sunday and runs until December 31 with lights on from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. every night. On New Year’s Eve, the light installations at Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, Anim’Arte Nam Van and the white canopy at Nam Van will remain on until 10 minutes past midnight on January 1.

Macau celebrates the 20th anniversary of the resumption of the exercise of China’s sovereignty over the city as well as the establishment of the MSAR and the swearing-in of the first MSAR government with Edmund Ho Hau Wah at the helm. The change in administration took place at midnight on December 19, 1999.

Miniature of “Glistening Lotus” at Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre

Rendering of the projection mapping show by a local team at the Ruins of St. Paul’s

Miniature of “Homey Lamp” at Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro

Rendering of the projection mapping show by a local team at St. Joseph’s Seminary Church Photos: MGTO