Roughly 1,500 local and overseas performers streamed through the city’s old quarter yesterday afternoon filling the alleys and streets with elaborate dance moves and music. Their enthusiasm contrasted with the cold weather that left many would-be spectators at home.
The procession, decked out in outlandish costumes, made its way from the Ruins of St Paul’s all the way to Tap Seac Square while cheerful spectators stood huddled along the route scrambling to snap shots of the entertainers.
The annual “Parade Through Macau, Latin City,” now in its fifth year, marks the 16th year since the region’s return to China.
Additionally, the MOP16 million pageant has sought to popularize the region’s lesser-known side to tourists with its colonial history and features associated with Portuguese-speaking nations.
Speaking on the sidelines of a stage performance at the heart of the square following the parade, the Cultural Affairs Bureau president Ung Vai Meng told media how he also wished to bring the region into global awareness. “We could promote the city through the media and cameras here today,” said Ung.
Rather than simply a day of festivities, he believed that the event would encourage more visitors to the less explored side of Macau, which represents the city’s past. “The old precinct we have is authentic, the scene there isn’t setting,” said Ng in reference to the district’s streetscape.
Despite the large turnout, local residents had mixed opinions over the authorities’ move to turn the neighborhood into a tourist-friendly attraction.
“It’s rare to see such a large-scale event in Macau apart from the Grand Prix,” said a local living in the old district, who only identified herself as Mrs Chu. “It’s fun and novel. I wish there were more similar functions despite their size.”
Yet her viewpoint clashed with another resident’s. Damon Leung, a university student, accused the event of adding to the already jammed traffic in the city. “Once a year is enough. It would interrupt our life if the government wished to bring in more tourists,” said the 20-year-old.
Another highlight of this year’s parade is the meter-high figures scattered along the route, created by three local illustrators, Fok Hoi Seng, Un Chi Wai and Lam Ieong Kun.
The IC head hoped that local artists’ presence in the parade could continue to expand in future.
light festival could become annual event
Macau Government Tourist Office head Maria Fernandes told media that the first ever Macau Light Festival would become annual if it proved successful. The seasonal event was expected to run until the end of the month after it kicked off last night. The authorities spent almost MOP20 million on the project featuring glitzy decorations and performances at 11 historic spots. Together with Galaxy Macau’s annual marathon and the Parade through Macau, Latin City, the authorities aim to enhance the city’s attractiveness for tourists during the peak winter travel season.
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