The 2^nd “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will be held in June and July, featuring six highlights, namely the Macao International Book Fair 2019, the “Traditional Chinese Strings and Fado” Concert by the Macao Chinese Orchestra, the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival, the Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, Traditional Music and Dance Performance from China and Portuguese-speaking Countries and “A Cherished Memory from 1999 ― Archives Exhibition in Celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of the Return of Macao to the Motherland”.

A launch ceremony was held on 18 June at the Macao Cultural Centre,  officiated by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mok Ian Ian; the Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Liu Wei; the Vice-President of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Foundation, Zhong Yi Seabra de Mascarenhas; the Vice President of the Institute for Tourism Studies of Macao, Florence Ian; the Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Chan Kai Chon; the Head of Training and Quality Management Department of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Doris Leong; and the President of Macau Publications Association, Chan U Ion; and was attended by the Food and Beverage Chef de Cuisine of the Institute for Tourism Studies, Tong Ion Keong; local writers Tang Mei Siu and Iao Fong; and the representatives of the Cultural Affairs Bureau.

On the occasion of the 20^th anniversary of Macao’s Handover to China and the 40^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Portugal, this edition of the “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” will continue to promote “Cultural Exchange Centre between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries”, making full use of Macao’s role as “a base for exchange and cooperation with Chinese culture as the mainstream and the coexistence of different cultures”, to further enhance and deepen the cultural exchange and cooperation between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries and to showcase the multicultural charm and rich cultural and artistic exchange of the city.

Taking culture as the link and arts as the carrier, this edition of the “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” brings together cultural and artistic elites from Mainland China and the eight Portuguese-speaking countries to Macao, and presents six extraordinary activities, including the “Macao International Book Fair 2019” themed “A Taste of Macao”, which features six exhibition areas to present diversified activities including the “24^th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards Ceremony”, seminars on publishing, exchange sessions, book launches and writers’ dialogues, promoting cultural exchanges and dialogue between the Chinese and Portuguese cultures; the Macao Chinese Orchestra joins hands with Hélder Moutinho, a famous Fado singer from Portugal, to present the concert “Traditional Chinese Strings and Fado” which fully reflects the unique charm of the harmonious integration of Chinese and Portuguese cultures; “The China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival”, dedicated to the theme of “Classics Review”, “New Vision of China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” and “Olá Macao”, will present 26 films from China (including Macao) and the Portuguese-speaking countries and feature post-screening sessions and talks on various films, bringing a wonderful cinema and video journey; “The Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” will be held at the Green Townhouses, located at No. 55-57 Avenida do Coronel Mesquita and Former Municipal Cattle Stable. In addition, an exhibition themed on “Lyric Poetry” will be held at the Macao Museum of Art to explore the exchange between different cultures, presenting a brand new experience of Chinese and Portuguese visual arts to residents and tourists; in “Traditional Music and Dance Performance from China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, art troupes from Hubei Province and from the eight Portuguese-speaking countries are invited to offer local audience traditional music and dance performances, showcasing the unique charm of Chinese and Portuguese performing arts and creating a festive atmosphere; “A Cherished Memory from 1999 ― Archives Exhibition in Celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of the Return of Macao to the Motherland” presents over one hundred precious archives to review with the public an historical event that cannot be duplicated. Stories about the establishment of the Committee for Celebration Activities from All Sectors for the Return of Macao to the People’s Republic of China (CDSMP) and the planning, coordinating and organization of the celebration will be shared with the public in a special lecture.

Tickets for the concert “Traditional Chinese Strings and Fado” by the Macao Chinese Orchestra will be available at the price of MOP250, MOP200 and MOP150 at the Macau Ticketing Network (www.macauticket.com) and outlets. A 40% discount will be offered to the Friends of the Macao Chinese Orchestra and Macao residents. Tickets for the “China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival” will be available for sale at the price of MOP60, with various discount packages at the Cinematheque．Passion or at the website www.cinematheque-passion.mo. Starting date of ticket sales of the above mentioned events will be announced later. Stay tuned for further updates.

The 2^nd “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” is organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, supported by the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture and is co-organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office. Admission to most of the events is free. For more information about the ticketing and programmes, please visit the thematic webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/FCP or follow the “IC Art” Page on Facebook and subscribe to the WeChat account “ICmacao”.