25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest splendidly comes on stage

The 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest unveiled its première fireworks shows tonight with the teams from Spain and South Africa coming first on stage. Their spectacular displays fascinated both foreign and local spectators. The contest features five new elements this year, promising a myriad of fantastic fireworks presented by different teams. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau SAR Government, Cheong U, Director of Department of Culture and Education of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macau Special Administrative Region, Liu Xiao Hang, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macau Special Administrative Region, Feng Tie, Vice President of The Committee of Cultural Industries, Leong Heng Teng and Director of Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes attended the contest's opening ceremony at the Macau Tower Outdoor Plaza. The 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest is held above the sea area in front of Macau Tower on 14, 19, 21, 28 September and 1 October. The teams from France and China will present their fireworks shows on 1 October as a highlight on the National Day. This year's contest boasts five new elements which make a more colorful program. The five elements include "Pyrotechnics Industry Forum", team contestants from five continents around the world, an African fireworks company's debut, laser light effects and a promotional micro movie. MGTO also created a mini site online for The 25th Macau International Fireworks Display Contest. Visitors can browse the site for more details about the latest and past contests. They can also enjoy the micro movie "We Meet．We Love" through a direct link to YouTube on the site. TDM - Radio Macau will live broadcast the fireworks shows' background music on its Chinese Channel every fireworks evening. In addition, this is the first year for TDM-Teledifusão de Macau, S.A. to live broadcast every fireworks display on the company's two TV channels during the contest, providing another option for locals and visitors to enjoy the show. The SMS game is also available again to encourage public involvement. Due to concerns about nautical safety, each interval between two fireworks displays is shortened this year. The first display starts at 9 p.m. as usual, followed by the second display at 9:40 p.m. Every display spans 18 minutes. The ten teams in the 25th contest come from five continents namely Asia, Europe, America, Oceania and Africa. They include fireworks companies from Spain, South Africa, Switzerland, Korea, Portugal, Australia, Italy, Canada, France and Mainland China. Four of the teams won the championship in the past Macau contests, showing their prominent pyrotechnic skills. In charge of the first show, the Spanish company Caballer fx & Services, S.L. came back as one of the champions in title, whereas the South African company made its debut in Macau with all its best to fight for a higher rank among other competitors. MGTO works together with the General Union of Neighbors Association of Macau again to co-launch the Fireworks Carnival 2013 at the open area next to Macau Tower, filling the fireworks evenings with fun and lively moments. Meanwhile, "Pyrotechnics Industry Forum" is scheduled from 28 September to 1 October as a supporting event of the 25th contest. The forum will explore the topic of pyrotechnics industry development and lead discussions on how it can benefit the tourism industry. The guest speakers include industry professionals, experts and scholars from Portugal, Canada and the Mainland, etc. Approaching the importance of fireworks shows to the tourism industry, their presentations will also cover different topics about the pyrotechnic industry including its development, impact, culture, laws and regulations, environmental protection as well as applied technology.