The opening ceremony of the programme of the “Culture City of East Asia 2025 – Macao, China was held today (23 March) at the Sai Van Lake Square, with a joyous and lively start through a spectacular performance of cultural integration.
The ceremony was officiated by the Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, Sam Hou Fai; the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Zheng Xincong; the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Liu Xianfa; the President of the Legislative Assembly of the Macao SAR, Kou Hoi In; the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, O Lam; the Deputy Director-General of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, Shi Zeyi; the Director of the Huzhou Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee of Zhejiang Province, Sun Xianlong; the Mayor of Anseong City of the Republic of Korea, Bora Kim; the Vice Mayor of Kamakura City of Japan, Shoichiro Chida; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man; and the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; and was attended by representatives of multiple Culture Cities of East Asia and Macao Government departments; members of the Executive Council, the Cultural Development Consultative Committee, the Cultural Heritage Committee and Tourism Development Committee; and representatives of partner entities.
The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, O Lam, the Director of the Standing Committee of Huzhou Municipal People's Congress of Zhejiang Province, Sun Xianlong, the Mayor of Anseong City of the Republic of Korea, Bora Kim, and the Deputy Mayor of Kamakura City of Japan, Shoichiro Chida, also delivered speeches at the opening ceremony, respectively, expressing the aspiration to take “Culture City of East Asia” as a platform to disseminate the profound essence, diversity and integration of East Asian cultures, to deepen the cultural exchanges through the active engagement in cultural, tourism and economic fields, thereby showcasing the cultural appeal of China, South Korea and Japan to the world together.
Programme of the “Culture City of East Asia” sets off with a spectacular performance presented by local groups and outstanding performers
In the opening ceremony of the programme of the “Culture City of East Asia 2025 – Macao, China”, a spectacular performance was jointly presented by over 200 outstanding performers participating in the “2025 Macao International Parade” from five continents, promoting the theme ‘‘East-West Encounter, Asia in Harmony’. In order to showcase Macao’s characteristic as a city where Chinese and Western cultures converge, artistic groups from the three other cities designated as “Culture Cities of East Asia 2025”, including Huzhou (China), Kamakura (Japan), and Anseong (Korea), were invited to participate in the performance. Various local performing groups teamed up with the artistic groups of different cultural customs to present the finale performance together, vividly showcasing the vitality of East Asian cultures as they interacted with each other on the stage.
The finale performance tells the story of the parade’s mascot, VIVA, who travels across time and space and returns after a fantastic journey to the “Culture City of East Asia – Macao, China”, and establishes a bridge for cultural communication, opening a unique chapter of the cultural encounter between East and West. During the journey, Chinese and foreign performing groups from five continents gathered in Macao, showcasing a rich and wide spectrum of cultures worldwide in five sections, including “Colourful Sky (Interplay of Reality and Illusion, Blending East and West)”, “Embracing All Rivers (A Survey of the Ancient and Modern, Gathering Elites)”, “Cloaked in Moonlight (Cutting Through Thorns, Persevering with Strength)”, “Echoing Through the Ages (Radiating Brilliance, A Spectacular Stage)”, and “Celebrating Together in Joy”, presenting the artistic charm of “Culture Cities of East Asia”.
Programme of the “Culture City of East Asia 2025 – Macao, China” features an impressive line-up of events
In the programme of the “Culture City of East Asia 2025 – Macao, China”, several government departments and integrated resorts will launch a series of cultural, sports and tourism events in four sections symbolising the journey of maritime exploration: “Setting Sail”, “Riding the Waves”, “Chasing the Moon” and “Returning with Abundance”, with East Asian cultural elements added to various annual events. Macao’s integrated resorts will also be encouraged to make full use of their facilities to host more internationally appealing cultural showcases and exchange activities, thus further solidifying Macao’s role as “a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist”, showcasing the charm of Chinese culture to the world, and promoting international cultural and artistic exchange.
The Macao SAR Government will make good use of the accolades of the “Culture City of East Asia 2025” to actively leverage Macao’s unique advantages as a city featuring the integration of Chinese and Western cultures, expand the dialogue on Asian civilizations, tell the stories of China, and establish Macao as an important bridgehead for the country’s high-level opening-up to the world and a vital window for the exchange and mutual understanding between the Chinese and Western civilizations.
The activities of the programme of the “Culture City of East Asia 2025 – Macao, China” will be successively launched.
For more information, please visit the website of the “Culture City of East Asia” at www.icm.gov.mo/culturecityofeastasia_macao, and the Macao activities website “Enjoy Macao”.
