Organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from its Portuguese acronym), the Tap Siac Craft Market is held at Tap Siac Square from 16 to 18 and 23 to 25 April. The Craft Market features a diversity of activities, cultural and creative brands and products. All are welcome to participate and experience life’s aesthetics expressed in creativity.
The Tap Siac Craft Market opening ceremony was held at 5:30pm on 16 April at Tap Siac Square and was officiated by the Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Wan Sucheng; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mok Ian Ian; the Member of the Administration Committee on Municipal Affairs of the Municipal Affairs Bureau, Lam Sio Un; the Member of the Administrative Committee of the Cultural Industries Fund, Chu Miu Lai; and the Project Manager of Go! Freelancers from Guangzhou, Sarah Nie.
The Tap Siac Craft Market has entered its thirteenth year and become the largest platform in Macao for displaying and selling cultural and creative products since its inception in 2008, gathering cultural and creative practitioners from different regions with diversified creative brands and products, thus imbuing Tap Siac Square with a strong cultural and creative atmosphere and offering a rich cultural feast to both residents and tourists. IC will continue to optimize the activities of the Craft Market, hoping to develop it into a significant exhibition cultural industries event in the Greater Bay Area and to highlight the positioning of Macao as a city with mainstream Chinese culture where other cultures coexist in harmony.
Themed “life aesthetics”, this edition of the Market features a total of 110 booths by cultural and creative practitioners from Macao and several provinces of Mainland China such as Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi and Sichuan, showcasing and selling daily necessities that are both aesthetic and practical. In addition, 87% of cultural and creative brands participating in the Craft Market in the second week are different from those in the first week, seeking to offer the public an exceptional experience in the same event. In addition, creative food stalls and 39 wonderful music performances by singers from Mainland China and Macao will be held. During the event, 36 creative handicraft workshops will be held, in which experienced creative instructors teach the participants handicraft skills, allowing the public to explore and enjoy the fun of creation. IC also set up a booth selling its publications at special discounts and promoting cultural activities. The public is welcome to visit and purchase their favourite books.
In order to safeguard the health of participants, IC will follow the anti-epidemic guidelines of the Health Bureau and take relevant anti-epidemic measures against the public, performers, stall operators and staff who enter the venue. Participants should pay attention to the following arrangements: the designated entrances and exits to the venue, all people in the venue must wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks before entering the venue, declare their health status and present a “Macao Health Code” of the day to the on-site staff; participants with fever or respiratory symptoms are not be allowed to enter the venue; and there will be restrictions as to the number of people admitted to the venue. Admissions will be suspended in case of overcrowding; all participants should maintain an appropriate social distance of at least one meter within the activity area and pay attention to their personal hygiene. IC will pay close attention to the epidemic situation, follow the relevant guidelines of the Health Bureau, and make appropriate arrangements for the activities.
The Tap Siac Craft Market is open from 5pm to 10pm on Fridays and from 3pm to 10pm on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information about the event, please visit the “Tap Siac Craft Market” website (www.craftmarket.gov.mo), the “Macao Craft Market” page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MacaoCraftMarket) or the Cultural Affairs Bureau website (www.icm.gov.mo). For enquiries, please contact Ms. Zhou, staff member of IC, through tel. no. 8399 6289 during office hours.
