Macao will in August hold its first Wushu carnival, said the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Tam Chon Weng.

The four-day carnival would feature a Wushu competition with practitioners from the mainland and overseas. There will also be martial arts and lion dance performances, Mr Tam said in his remarks on Thursday (21 April).

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the Cultural Industry Council, Mr Tam said the carnival would be aimed at creating a greater number of development opportunities for local businesses, in sectors such as tourism, sports, and cultural and creative industries. He hoped a future edition of such an event could be expanded to cover a whole week, and that eventually it could become an annual festival.

Macao had a close connection with Wushu: a bout of the martial art held in 1954 in the premises of the swimming pool at the former Estoril Hotel – between Wu Kung I and Chan Hak Fu, masters of different disciplines of the sport – was an inspiration for a number of Wushu-themed novels, Mr Tam added.

Asked by reporters about the redevelopment plan for Estoril Hotel, the Secretary said there were many ways of conserving the historic swimming pool at the former hotel. Renewing its facilities would allow a greater number of residents to enjoy the venue and allow it to extend its daily opening hours.

Wushu is derived from traditional Chinese martial arts and can be either an exhibition sport or a full-contact sport.