The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) announced Tuesday that it will host the city’s first Arts and Cultural Festival involving China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs) later this year, with the aim of promoting regular cultural exchanges between the two sides.
The two-month festival, themed “Encounter in Macau” this year, will kick off next month, featuring five highlights namely the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival, “Chapas Sínicas – Stories of Macau in Torre do Tombo” exhibition and seminars; China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Gala Performance; Cultural Forum between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries; and the Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.
“Chapas Sínicas” (“Chinese Sheets”) are official records from during the Qing Dynasty about Macau. The “Torre do Tombo” (“Tower of the Tome”) houses Portugal’s National Archives in Lisbon.
A launch ceremony and press conference about the festival was held at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) in Nape.
In a speech during yesterday’s launching ceremony, IC President Mok Ian Ian noted that during the opening ceremony of the 5th Ministerial Conference of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries in October 2016, Premier Li Keqiang announced 18 new measures to help the development of Portuguese-speaking countries, adding that one of the 18 measures is that the central government supports the establishment of a China-PSCs cultural exchange centre in Macau.
In order to fully comply with national policies, implement the premier’s instructions, showcase Macau’s role as a bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and reveal the charm of a multicultural city, the local government has been striving to promote the establishment of the “Cultural Exchange Centre between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, Mok said.
Mok said that therefore the local government was launching the China-PSCs arts and cultural festival this year in order to create a mechanism for cultural and artistic exchanges and cooperation between the two sides.
By strengthening cultural understanding, minimising cultural differences, increasing communication and enhancing mutual trust, the arts and cultural festival will provide favourable conditions for the creation of a “Community of Common Destiny”, Mok said.
During the conference, Mok said that her bureau plans to host the China-PSCs Arts and Cultural Festival every year. She also said that the festival’s budget this time will be 28 million patacas
