As the Parade’s destination, Sai Van Lake Square is bustled with nearly 1,000 spectators
The grand outdoor celebration event for Chinese New Year — “Parade for the Celebration of the Year of the Monkey” was held tonight (10 February), presenting an array of fascinating highlights for local citizens and visitors from around the world in celebration of Spring Festival. A splendid program was rolled out including a multimedia opening themed show, fabulous float parade alongside over 1,000 performers, famous Hong Kong and Macao singers, splendid fireworks, local display of floats and so forth. The whole event went on live broadcast via two local TV stations and LED screens at a total of nine locations around town, filling the city with festive vibe. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Alexis Tam; Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ip Peng Kin; Director of Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; President of Macao Sports Bureau, José Tavares; Vice-President of Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Chan Peng Fai; Member of Administration Committee of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), Ma Kam Keong; and Director of Asia Tourism Exchange Center Ltd. of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Li Jian Ping, officiated the opening ceremony together with other guests in front of Macao Science Center at 7:30 p.m. Famous Hong Kong singer Pakho Chau gave a performance while Hong Kong celebrity hosts 6Wing and Kitty Yuen were the hosts of the night, adding much joy and liveliness to the event. A Story behind the whole Parade This year a multimedia opening show themed as “The Monkey King” was specially presented to kick off the Parade. Under special effects, the Monkey King manifested himself in various forms, accompanied by lively young monkeys. To bring out the zodiac sign “Monkey” in the city, the whole Parade revolved around a story about the Monkey King spending a Chinese New Year vacation in Macao with the Celestial Court. As the story began, the Jade Emperor wished to visit the earth for fun with his Celestial Court during Chinese New Year. Upon knowing about the annual float parade rolled out in Macao during Chinese New Year, he commanded the Monkey King to visit Macao and plan an exciting trip for him in advance, then meeting the Celestial Court during the Parade. Four major themes of performance This year, the Parade were joined by 14 floats, 28 local groups as well as a total of 9 performance groups from different places including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, Portugal, Spain and the United States, involving a total of 1,338 performers. The Parade was held under four major themes of performance as follow: “Fortune Stars to the World”, “Great Treasures on their way”, “Rhythm of Lucky Blessings” and “Prosperity & Success fills the Year”. The floats and performance groups paraded through Avenida Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in Macao until the destination at Sai Van Lake Square in front of Macau Tower. Meticulously-designed floats Decorated with the Monkey King’s mask, giant golden peaches and dazzling illuminations which symbolize great luck and bliss, MGTO’s float bestows the warmest New Year blessings upon local residents and visitors. Adorning the float with colorful decorations and a lively statue of the zodiac animal Monkey, IACM wishes everyone can enjoy an auspicious year filled with vitality. Themed as “The Historic Centre of Macao”, the design of IC’s float brings out Macao’s cultural glamour and development into a “Cultural Sustainable City”; whereas the float design of Macao Sports Bureau, decorated in traditional red color and themed as the zodiac animal Monkey, manifests different kinds of sports and represents the passion and vitality of local sports sectors. As for CNTA’s float, the design highlights the beautiful scenery of various attractions along the Silk Road across China under the theme “Beautiful China”. Other sponsoring entities of the floats include Galaxy Entertainment Group, Sociedade de Jogos de Macao, S.A., Wynn Macau, Sands Resorts Cotai Strip Macao, Suncity Group, Melco Crown Entertainment, Exmoo News, MGM Macau and Multinational Holdings Group. Cotai Water Jet and Tung Cheng Yuen Buddhist Association are the entities which sponsored the performances. Other sponsoring entities include Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Co., Ltd. Stage performances began at Sai Van Lake Square at 8:45 p.m. tonight, starring local singers Vivian Chan, Sean Pang, Rico Long and Alan Tse. Part of the parading procession also joined the stage performance upon arrival at Sai Van Lake Square, followed by the finale performance presented by famous Hong Kong singers Alex Fong and Stephy Tang. A myriad of fireworks dazzled the sky at 9:45 p.m. and culminated the night with joyful vibe. Festive job fills the city For local citizens and visitors to arrive conveniently at the Parade, MGTO operated seven free shuttle bus routes between designated event venues and various districts on Macao Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane. To liven up the spectators’ spirit, MGTO gave out themed souvenirs along the parade route. In addition, the parade was live broadcasted on TV channels and LED screens installed at nine locations across various local districts. Besides the dazzling float parade, MGTO also rolls out a prize-redemption game “Macao Hunt” on WeChat from 1 to 28 February, encouraging residents and visitors to look out for golden monkeys along four designated “Step Out, Experience Macao’s Communities” walking tour routes for a chance to win attractive prizes. To add more fun to the Parade, additional locations were set up near each seating area for spectators to look for the golden monkeys tonight (10 February). Float display The 14 floats in the Parade are showcased at Sai Van Lake Square and Tap Seac Square during 10 – 13 February and 13 – 21 February respectively. The floats are brightened up with illuminations to allow photo opportunities for residents and visitors from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. during the above periods. Parade on the sixth day of Lunar New Year The Parade on the sixth day of Lunar New Year will feature 14 floats as well and start with a kick-off ceremony at Rua Norte do Patane at 8 p.m. The parading procession will march through Avenida do Conselheiro Borja, Estrada do Arco, Rua Quatro do Bairro da Areia Preta until the finishing point at Iao Hon Market Garden, where performers including local singers and Hong Kong artist Vincent Wong will dazzle the stage.
