The 3rd “Encounter in Macao – Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries” features six highlights, namely the Lusofonia Festival, the Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community, the China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival, the Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, The Belt and Road Cultural Talk Series – Samba and Dance, and the Taipa Houses 100th Anniversary Activities.
The Festival not only showcases the diverse cultures of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries but also implements and deepens the establishment of Macau as a “Cultural Exchange Centre between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, offering residents and tourists a unique Sino-Portuguese cultural experience. This edition of the Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries brings the culture and customs of Portuguese-speaking countries to the community through an array of activities, building Macau as a platform for cultural exchange between China and Portuguese-speaking countries and promoting heart-warming exchanges. Through the cultural performances, traditional song and dance, and cinema of the Portuguese-speaking communities, the Festival showcases the diverse and inclusive values of Macau and its historical evolution throughout centuries of harmonious coexistence without loss of identity.
Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries
(See featured image above)
The Annual Arts Exhibition between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries features two exhibitions, namely “Symbiosis” and “Embrace of Diversity”, bringing together contemporary artworks from Macau, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and eight Portuguese-speaking countries, and opening a window for the public to experience the diversity of Chinese and Portuguese arts. Furthermore, the Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries brings a series of passionate and enthusiastic performances to the community.
“This Is Not What I Expected” film still
China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival
The China and Portuguese-speaking Countries Film Festival–themed “The Gourmets of Cinema”–features 30 outstanding films from China and Portuguese-speaking countries, making residents and tourists discover Macau. This edition of the Film Festival combines the visual and auditory impact of films with the taste and smell of food and drinks, creating a cinema feast that brings together all the flavors, from sweet, sour, bitter to spicy. The Film Festival is divided into three sections, namely “Contemporary China & Portuguese-speaking films”, “Macao Shorts about food & life” and “Flavors of China & Portuguese-speaking Countries”, featuring gastronomic films in Chinese and Portuguese, and allowing the audience to enjoy gastronomic stories produced by local filmmakers. In addition, a series of outreach activities including post-screening talks, lectures, and cuisine workshops, allow the audience to enjoy a feast of cinema and savor their lives.
Traditional Music and Dance Performance in the Community
The Dance and Singing Group of Fujian Province and six local Portuguese-speaking artistic groups will offer Traditional Music and Dance Performance to the local audience, with the aim of providing the community with an exchange between the art and culture of China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Taipa Houses 100th Anniversary Activities
In order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Taipa Houses, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will hold a series of themed activities, including “Guided Tours at Taipa Houses” and “Paper Cut Light Box DIY Workshop”, allowing the public to learn about the distinctive features of the Taipa Houses as well as its historical stories and surrounding communities from different perspectives. In addition, the participants of the guided tours can receive a Taipa Houses-shaped three-dimensional memo pad as a souvenir.
The Belt and Road Cultural Talk Series – Samba and Dance
In The Belt and Road Cultural Talk Series – Samba and Dance, Jin Xinyi and Zhang Jianbo, two specialists in Portuguese literature and cultural studies, are invited to present two talks entitled “Feminist Literature in the Portuguese-speaking African Countries” and “Brazilian Literature and the Image of Brazil in the World of Literature” respectively, offering the public an immersive tour through the culture of the Portuguese-speaking countries, jointly exploring the active role of Portuguese-speaking countries in the cultural exchange promoted by the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.
Jointly organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Institute for Social and Cultural Research of the Macau University of Science and Technology, the Talk Series on Belt and Road Culture — Samba and Dance will present two seminars for this year. With the ultimate goal to provide further insight into the Belt and Road culture, the talks, hosted by specialists in literature and culture of Portuguese-speaking countries, focus on the topics about feminist literature in African and Brazilian literature, featuring Portuguese-speaking countries’ roles in the cultural exchange among the Belt and Road countries.
Lusofonia Festival 2021
The Lusofonia Festival is be integrated into this year’s “Arts and Cultural Festival between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries”, allowing the public to participate in the activities under the theme of Portuguese customs and culture, enriching their cultural experience and enhancing the effect of the Festival. Over the three days of the Festival, different booths of the Macao Portuguese-speaking communities from ten countries and regions, namely Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Goa, Daman and Diu, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, East Timor and the Macanese community, will be set up, introducing their countries or regions’ traditional music, arts and crafts, traditional costumes, gastronomy and tourist information, allowing the public to experience the long-standing culture and festival traditions of different regions.
When: November 11–December 12, 2021
Where: Taipa Houses-Museum, Avenida da Praia, Carmo, Taipa, Tap Seac Gallery, Praça do Tap Seac, Macau, Macau Contemporary Art Center – Navy Yard No.1, Rua de S. Tiago da Barra, Macau, Cinematheque Passion, 13 Travessa da Paixão, Macau, Macao Cultural Centre, Avenida Xian Xing Hai s/n, NAPE, Macau
How much: MOP $60 per person (cinema sessions)
For more information, check the event’s official page
Admission to the Taipa Houses 100th Anniversary Activities and The Belt and Road Cultural Talk Series – Samba and Dance are free. Interested parties can register through the official website (only in Chinese).
