The Opening Ceremony of the 13th Cultural Week of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, organised by the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), was held at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex on November 12.
The event drew approximately 200 attendees, including: Macao’s Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Lei Wai Nong; Deputy Director-General of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Mr Yao Jian; the Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Mr Liu Xianfa; Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao, Mr Ding Tian; members of the consulates in Macao representing Portuguese-speaking Countries; representatives of Portuguese-speaking Countries to Forum Macao; representatives of associations in Macao of businesspeople from Portuguese-speaking parts of the world; and representatives of Macao higher education institutions. The opening ceremony also featured: videos on Chinese culture and lusophone cultures; the award ceremony for the Contest for Promotional Videos on Portuguese-speaking Countries; and art, dance and musical performances from China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.
Deputy Secretary-General Mr Ding pointed out in his remarks during the opening ceremony that cultural and artistic exchanges emphasised – particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic – the importance of building a community with a vision for a shared future for mankind. He said the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao would continue its efforts to promote exchanges between the peoples of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries. Mr Ding also said Forum Macao remained open to working with all parties in order to foster cultural and other exchanges between mainland China, Macao, and Portuguese-speaking Countries.
This edition of the Cultural Week of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries features new elements, in order to fulfil Macao’s role as a service platform for trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, as per the 14th Five-Year Plan of the Central Government. The new features, delivered in online and offline format, include the Contest for Promotional Videos on Portuguese-speaking Countries and the “Lusophone Polychromes” series of exhibitions and workshops covering cultural forms from Portuguese-speaking Countries.
During the Cultural Week of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, a virtual platform is being used to bring to the public 18 performances in aggregate from among the nine member countries of Forum Macao. These are: China (represented by Anhui province), Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste. The spectacles include music and dance performances, work from Anhui’s Huangmei Opera, theatre plays, tourism and traditional culture presentations, handicraft shows, and showcases of the cuisine of Portuguese-speaking Countries.
The award ceremony for the Contest for Promotional Videos on Portuguese-speaking Countries, a competition jointly hosted by the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum Macao and the Macao Polytechnic Institute, and aimed at students, was held following the opening of the Cultural Week. Despite the pandemic, the competition was held successfully. More than 180 students from over 20 higher education institutions in mainland China, Portuguese-speaking Countries and Macao applied for the contest, submitting 50 pieces of work in total.
After an evaluation, entries from 23 teams were selected as finalists, and six entries made it onto the award shortlist. They were: ‘I am waiting for you in Angola’; ‘Brazilian Coffee’; ‘Guinea Bissau’; ‘One day in Portugal’; ‘Hello! My name is São Tomé and Príncipe’; and ‘In Timor-Leste there is a fantastic legend tale’. The entry ‘I am waiting for you in Angola’ from the team from East China Jiaotong University, in Jiangxi province, received the most votes online. The winners briefly commented on the awards during the ceremony. All 6 award shortlisted entries can be viewed online, enabling the public to experience the charm of Portuguese-speaking Countries, and to learn more about their customs and traditions.
The art exhibitions and workshops of the eight Portuguese-speaking Countries included under the “Lusophone Polychromes” series began offline in June, at the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform Complex. The exhibitions and workshops are designed to help the public learn more about the diverse cultures, arts, customs, and habits of people in Portuguese-speaking Countries. The next exhibitions and workshops: namely from Timor-Leste and Angola, will be held between November 19 and December 5; and between December 10 and 26 respectively. All are welcome to enjoy the art exhibitions and workshops.
Co-organiser: Macao Government Tourism Office
Media partner: TDM – Teledifusão de Macau, S.A.
