The “Parade through Macao, Latin City”, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), will be held on 14 December in celebration of the 15th anniversary of Macao’s handover to China. To facilitate public involvement and enjoyment, the organiser is announcing several arrangements including traffic/street special measures and a set of instructions for the public’s easy circulation.

The Parade Opening Ceremony will take place at the Ruins of St. Paul’s on 14 December, at 4:00pm,. From here, the parade will proceed to Rua de S. Paulo, Largo de Santo António, and winding its way past Largo da Companhia, Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro, Rua dos Artilheiros, Rua de Sanches de Miranda, Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro, the Old Ladies’ House (Albergue), Rua de S. Roque, Rua Nova de S. Lázaro, Adro de S. Lázaro, Rua do Volong, Rua do Tap Siac and Rua de Afonso de Albuquerque, culminating in a grand closing ceremony at Tap Seac Square,which will end at 7:30pm. The Parade general rehearsal will be held from 9:00pm to 11:30pm on the night of 13 December.

On the days of the Parade and general rehearsal, traffic/street special measures will be implemented as follows:

1) Prior to 9:00am on 13 December, all tour buses must be driven away from the parking areas of Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro;

2) From 9:00pm to 11:00pm on the night of 13 December, traffic will be limited along the parade route;

3) From 9:00am December 13 to 8:00pm on 14 December, parking meters along the parade route will be off service;

4) Lastly, from 1:00pm to 5:30pm on 14 December, temporary closures will be implemented on Rua de S. Paulo, Rua de Santo António, Largo de Santo António, Largo da Companhia, Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro and Rua dos Artilheiros, and vehicles parked in the above-mentioned locations are not allowed to move.

Instructions for the public on the day of the Parade, 14 December:

The members of the public who wish to watch the Parade Opening Ceremony at the Ruins of St. Paul’s can enter the audience area from Calçada de S. Paulo and Rua de S. Paulo. From 1:30pm, the entry of Rua de S. Paulo will be under crowd control, while the entries and exits of Calçada de S. Paulo and Rua de S. Paulo will be closed at 2:30pm onward; when the audience area is full, entry will not be allowed. Also, starting from 4:00pm, Tap Seac Square will have restricted access, so the members of the public who want to watch the Parade Closing Ceremony at the Square can access the site from the entries at Avenida de Sidónio Pais (near Hotel Estoril e Piscina Municipal), Rua de Afonso de Albuquerque and Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida (in the direction of Tap Seac Square).

Furthermore, to enhance the festive atmosphere and public participation, IC will distribute Parade-themed souvenirs to spread the joy across the city.The audience can get souvenirs, after 1:30pm on the parade day, from the Cultural Affairs Bureau Service Stations, respectively at Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro, St. Lazarus’ Church and forecourt, near the Art Exhibition Pavilion for The Youth at Tap Seac Square and outside the Macau Central Library at Tap Seac Square.

For details, please visit the Parade website http://www.icm.gov.mo/macaoparade/4/en/ and facebook page.