UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova has announced the designation of “Macao, China” as a new member city of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of Gastronomy according to a official statement of the government.
The UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy status is set to bring an array of new opportunities to promote Macau’s unique gastronomic culture and develop a sustainable tourism industry, as the city works to transform itself into a world centre of tourism and leisure.
Macau submitted the application to UNESCO Secretariat under the name of “Macao, China”.
The application for a designation as Creative City of Gastronomy received the support of the National Commission of the People’s Republic of China for UNESCO, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in Macau.
The local Tourism Development Committee, along with the European Oenogastronomic Brotherhoods Council and the China Cuisine Association also gave their support to the application. Macau became the third Creative City of Gastronomy in China, after Chengdu and Shunde. UCCN covers seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Art, Design, Film, Gastronomy, Literature, Music and Media Arts.
The designation of Macau as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy adds to the city’s portfolio that already includes the listing of The Historic Centre of Macao as UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005, and following the inscription of the collection of “Chapas Sínicas” (Official Records of Macao During the Qing Dynasty (1693-1886)) on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
Macau is an associate member of UNESCO since 1995.
