The 7th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” will be held between this month and December, featuring over 80 sessions in seven series in diverse forms, including visual arts, films, music, picture books and carnivals, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Deland Leong Wai Man announced at a press conference.
Yesterday’s press conference was held at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM).
Leong noted that in this year’s event, over 780 artists and performers from home and abroad will participate, offering a cross-regional cultural feast for residents and tourists from around the world.
Meanwhile, the event will be held in parallel with the “GEG Lusofonia Festival” from October 24 to November 2 at the Taipa Houses complex, featuring cultural booths from 10 Portuguese-speaking communities, as well as the Macanese community, with a focus on Angolan culture, including music, gastronomy, handicrafts and games, and showcasing the vitality and splendour of Chinese and Lusophone cultures, Leong said.
Customarily, the term “Macanese” denotes Macau’s community of mixed Portuguese and Asian descent, and its diaspora.
The Portuguese-speaking communities represented at the event comprise Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde (Cape Verde), Damão, Diu and Goa of the Republic of India, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor Leste (East Timor),
Leong added that the 7th “China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival”, themed “Transcending Boundaries”, will be held in conjunction with the programme of the “Culture City of East Asia”, showcasing outstanding works and films from the Chinese mainland, including the opening film “Green Wave”, directed by Xu Lei, which will be screened at Galaxy Cinemas in Cotai on November 14, followed by nearly 30 film screenings at Cinematheque•Passion (戀愛‧電影館) from November 15 to December 5.
Meanwhile, art groups from the Chinese mainland and eight of the world’s nine Portuguese-speaking countries will present music and dance performances in various districts during the event, including Iao Hon Market Park (祐漢街市公園), Lok Yeung Fa Yuen (緣楊花園), and Flower City Park (花城花園) in Taipa, enabling residents and tourists to immerse themselves in the vitality and charm of Chinese and Portuguese-speaking cultures.
Moreover, three Handbrewing Coffee Workshop sessions, the Annual Arts Exhibition between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries, Chinese and Portuguese Picture Book Fair, and Sino-Lusophone Concert, as well as several wine tasting workshops, will be held during three-month event.
For more information, please visit the event’s official website at www.icm.gov.mo/FCP.
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Deland Leong Wai Man address 7th “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” press conference at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) yesterday. – Photo: Ida Cheong
