Cultural Affairs Bureau hosts a carnival in June to celebrate China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day
On the occasion of the “China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day”, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from its Portuguese acronym) will host the “China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day Carnival 2022” at the Mount Fortress Garden and the Macao Museum from 11 June (Saturday) for two consecutive days. During the period of the event, guided tours, workshops and thematic talks will be held and the Guia Lighthouse and the Macao Museum will be open to the public with free admission in a bid to enhance the public’s knowledge of Macao’s cultural heritage.
The “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” originates from the former designation of the “Cultural Heritage Day”. According to the directive of the State Council, the “Cultural Heritage Day” has been celebrated annually on the second Saturday of June since 2006. In 2017, the “Cultural Heritage Day” was renamed “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” with the aim of strengthening public awareness of the importance of safeguarding cultural and natural heritage.
The “China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day Carnival 2022” will be held from 3pm to 5:30pm on 11 June and from 11am to 5:30pm on 12 June at the Mount Fortress Garden and the Macao Museum. In addition to a range of thematic game booths, activities and demonstrations of making almond cookies and dragon beard candies, the carnival also features stage performances of lion dance, Portuguese folk dance, as well as Wing Chun, Taichi and Cho Lei Fat Martial Arts. Participants can experience different activities of intangible cultural heritage under the guidance of instructors. People of all ages are welcome to join free of charge.
A rich variety of activities will be offered during the carnival, including the “Intangible Cultural Heritage Story Hawkers”, which will present movable theatrical performances inspired by the culture of hawkers in Macao’s districts, combing storytelling and puppetry to introduce intangible cultural heritage related to festive events; the “Guided Tour of Mount Fortress”, in which the guide of the Macao Museum will present the history of firing cannons in Macao and stories related to Macao’s ancient cannons; the “Monotype Family Workshop”, in which the staff of the Macao Museum will introduce the basic techniques of monotype and use tiles as the materials to create monotype works; and the “Watercolour Postcard Workshop”, in which participants will record their impressions of the Ruins of St. Paul’s College in a postcard through the application of watercolour painting.
In addition, a workshop and a talk will be held at IC’s cultural facilities. The “Porcelain Painting Workshop” will be held at the Mandarin’s House at 3pm on 11 and 12 June, guiding participants to explore the connotations of the House from another angle through painting architectural elements of the Mandarin’s House onto porcelain. The thematic talk “Story of Chinese Characters” will be held at 3pm on 12 June at the Auditorium of the Macao Museum, in which the curator of the Chinese Cultural Arts Gallery of the Pui Ching Middle School Macau, Dr. Chong Chon Fai, will showcase the meaning and beauty of Chinese characters through introducing their structures and origins with intriguing historical stories.
Registration is required for the abovementioned theatrical performances, guided tours, workshops and talks. Seats are limited. Interested parties may register from 10am on 25 May through IC’s Activities Registration System (www.icm.gov.mo/eform/event). Registration for thematic talks will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, while seats for other activities will be selected by drawing lots if the number of registrants exceeds the maximum number of participants. Successful applicants will be notified by SMS. Notifications will not be sent to those who are not selected.
On 11 and 12 June, the Guia Lighthouse will be open to the public from 10am to 5:30pm, and the Macao Museum will be open to residents and tourists with free admission on the abovementioned two days during its opening hours from 10am to 6pm (no admission after 5:50pm). Guided tours are available at various heritage sites on Saturdays and Sundays to encourage the public to gain a deeper knowledge of Macao’s history.
Through a rich variety of activities in diverse forms, IC seeks to promote the valuable cultural and natural heritage of Macao in a lively atmosphere. For more information about the activities celebrating the “China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day”, please visit the thematic website at www.icm.gov.mo/chd. In cooperation with the epidemic prevention efforts, all participants must wear their face masks, undergo body temperature checks, and present a valid “Venue QR code” (also known as ‘Venue code’) and “Macao Health Code” of the day. The activities will be arranged in accordance with the anti-epidemic guidelines of the Health Bureau and appropriate measures will also be taken.
