Lotus Flowers in the Era of Prosperity for Double Celebration – the 24th Macao Lotus Flower Festival
The “Lotus Flowers in the Era of Prosperity for Double Celebration – the 24th Macao Lotus Flower Festival” organised by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) will be held between 14 and 23 June in Avenida da Praia, Taipa, during which potted lotus flowers will be placed across Macao, delighting visitors with the beauty of lotus blooms. Meanwhile, a series of exhibitions and activities with rich content will be arranged for visitors to enjoy both physical and sedentary activities. The public are welcome to participate.
With the theme “Lotus Flowers in the Era of Prosperity for Double Celebration”, this year’s lotus flower festival celebrates the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region by displaying this year’s themed lotus “Nelumbo nucifera cv. ‘Shenzhou mei·ao’” and many seasonal flowers and plants. The main exhibition venue has “returning home” as the main design concept and is divided into three areas: the first area titled the “blessed land of lotus flowers” connects eight scenic spots of Macao through an arch bridge over the lotus pond and presents Macao’s unique cultural and natural landscapes in the form of a scenic corridor; the second area titled “aroma of lotus flowers carried by mist across China” is located in the central area of the exhibition venue, criss-crossed by a Chinese avenue and scattered lotus leaf art installations. Walking in the avenue, visitors can feel the “emerald-like lotus leaves touching the sky, and the lotus flowers reflecting the sunlight like vibrant rubies” - the charm of the lotus culture; the third area titled the “magnificent scenery of the motherland” shows the “Haitang gate” (gate in begonia shape) of the Chinese garden facing the “golden lotus of Macao”, symbolising the joy of Macao’s return to the motherland. Having the art installations of beautiful mountains and rivers of the motherland at the back of the golden lotus also highlights the theme of this exhibition.
The public may also walk to the nearby lotus wetland with an area of 69,000 square metres, walk along the 1,100-metre-long bank facing the flowers to enjoy their beauty as well as the scenery of the lotus pond as the lotus flowers are in full bloom, and get to know the flora and fauna of the wetlands in Macao. They may also visit the “lotus and Macao image and text exhibition” to learn about the relationship between the city and lotus flowers.
More than 5,000 potted lotus flowers will be placed in major streets, green areas, sightseeing spots and tourist attractions across Macao, such as Senado Square, Dr. Sun Yat Sen Municipal Park, Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro, Ruins of St. Paul’s and Lou Lim Ioc Park, allowing the public to take delight in the scent of lotus flowers.
To complement the lotus flower festival, IAM will arrange various lotus-themed activities for public participation, including the “exhibition of winning works of drawing competition of the 2nd Hengqin Lotus Festival ‘Colourful lotus gather in Macao and Hengqin, bringing fragrance and happiness’” and the “themed workshop on Hengqin ecology” jointly organised with the Urban Planning and Construction Bureau of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, the “workshop on (mobile phone) filming techniques of short videos on lotus”, the “lotus-themed workshop”, the “seminar on a look at 400 years of tea culture in Macao through lotus”, the “lotus-themed parent-child culinary workshop”, the “eco-tour on appreciation of lotus”, the “Hengqin lotus eco-tour”, and the “let’s grow plants together in flower exhibition” activity.
For activity details, the public may refer to the IAM website at www.iam.gov.mo and the Macao Nature website at https://nature.iam.gov.mo, or call the Civic Service Hotline at 2833 7676.
