Macao is set to come alive with a spectacular display of culture as the 17th Cultural Week of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries gets underway over the coming weeks. The event kicked off on 26 September and runs through to 18 November 2025.
This year’s festivities promise an even grander scale, with events not only in Macao but also extending to Beijing and Zhongshan in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The main venue in Zhongshan will be Xingzhong Square, hosting performances from various countries and an art exhibition from Portuguese-speaking countries at the Xiangshan Commercial Culture Museum. In Beijing, the BIG Shopping Park will be the hub for performances and promotional activities by artistic teams.
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Organised by the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, the vibrant annual event aims to strengthen cultural ties and foster mutual understanding between China and the lusophone world.
Diverse performances and flavours
The Cultural Week launched with a grand opening ceremony last week at Fisherman’s Wharf. Attendees were treated to an array of exciting shows featuring cultural and artistic teams from China (Qinghai Province) and the nine Portuguese-speaking countries: Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste. Stalls also offered food and handicraft products from both Portuguese-speaking countries and Macao.
Food enthusiasts are meanwhile in for a treat with the Portuguese Food Tasting and Exhibition program, running from 27 September to 2 October. Renowned chefs from five Portuguese-speaking countries – Brazil, Cape Verde, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique – will collaborate with local restaurateurs at Fisherman’s Wharf to craft unique menus that blend the rich flavours of the Lusophone world.
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Adding to the culinary excitement, cooking demonstrations will be held from 29 September to 1 October at Fisherman’s Wharf, where chefs from Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, and Mozambique will prepare their specialities. On 30 September, chefs from Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde will host a Portuguese-speaking Countries Cooking Workshop at the Macao University of Science and Technology, sharing their techniques and culinary heritage.
Art, literature, and audiovisual delights
The Cultural Week also highlights the visual and literary arts. The Portuguese-Speaking Countries Fine Art Exhibition and Book Launch of New Literary Works will open on 24 October at the Macao IAM Gallery, showcasing distinctive works by artists from multiple lusophone nations. The exhibition will run until 18 November.
A special book launch for the Angolan literary work Is This Book a Novel? (which has been translated into Chinese) will take place during the Cultural Week, with a simultaneous release in mainland China and Macao.
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Building on last year’s success, the 2025 Collective Exhibition of Audiovisual Works will be held on 26 September at the Macao University of Science and Technology’s Movie Hall. This event will feature offline screenings of Inspiring Greater Bay Area China: A French Sinologist’s Investigation of Southern China and a meet-and-greet with the creators. Subsequent screenings will be held at the Macao IAM Gallery, with content also being given to Portuguese-speaking countries’ television stations.
For more information on Cultural Week, visit the event’s dedicated web page.
This article was drafted by AI before being reviewed by an editor.
