The 15th Macau Literary Festival –The Script Road concluded yesterday in Casa Garden, with a wide-ranging programme of literature, films, art, and music.
Poets and writers gathered at Casa Garden on Friday for the talk “Verses in Transit”, where visiting poet Lu Jian from the Chinese mainland met local writers and poets to discuss the relationship between travel, culture and poetic creation as part of the city’s Literary Festival activities.
The talk was moderated by local poet Yao Feng, who introduced the visiting guest and guided a conversation about how journeys – both physical and psychological – inspire literary expression.
Yao described travel as a key creative catalyst for writers, noting that “travel breaks the static clock in the study”, allowing poets to encounter new people and experiences that spark inspiration.
Lu, a professor and a poet, reflected on how travel shapes creative thinking. He said that encountering new environments helps writers discover different perspectives of themselves and the world. “Every time we go to a new place, we can meet a new self”, Lu said, adding that observing unfamiliar cultures and daily life allows writers to deepen their understanding of humanity.
Meanwhile, local poet Si Tou Chi U shared her perspective as a young writer who has studied and lived outside Macau in recent years. She said distance from home allowed her to rediscover the city’s cultural identity. “When I returned to Macau, I realised our city is inseparable from travel,” she said, pointing to the city’s history of cultural exchange between Chinese, Portuguese and other communities.
Another local poet, Lai Ka Io, spoke about how short journeys within the Greater Bay Area (GBA) can also inspire creative work. She described writing poetry while travelling to neighbouring cities and observing shared cultural elements such as weather, landscapes, and daily life. “Poetry can be a bridge that connects people,” Lai said, noting that exchanges between writers in Macau and nearby cities help strengthen literary dialogue.
Throughout the discussion, speakers emphasised that poetry can capture both personal experiences and universal emotions, helping readers reflect on life, culture and human connections across borders.
The discussion highlighted Macau’s role as a meeting point for diverse cultural voices, bringing together Chinese mainland and local writers to exchange ideas and explore how travel, observation and cultural encounters continue to shape contemporary poetry.
Chinese mainland poet Lu Jian (second from right) speaks during the “Verses in Transit” talk alongside local poets (from left to right) Lai Ka Io, Si Tou Chi U and Yao Feng at Casa Garden on Friday evening. – Photo: Khalel Vallo
