Entertainment | ‘Light Festival’ organizers hope to dazzle Macau

The “Macao Light Festival 2016 – Treasure of Light” will run from December 4 to December 31, presenting video mapping projections, light installations and interactive games as well as a music and light show at various locations in Macau.

The organizer, Macao Government Tourist Office (MGTO), held a press conference last week to introduce the event’s program.

According to the organizers, the festival will introduce innovative projection techniques and new interactive elements to encourage more citizens and visitors to participate in the event.

MGTO director Helena de Senna Fernandes stated that the Light Festival will be inaugurated on December 4, the same day as the Macau International Marathon and the Parade through Macao, Latin City. “As the organizer, MGTO will put unsparing efforts to present a spectacular Macao Light Festival, hoping to set off a mass fervor for the dazzling event again, and forge the Festival into a signature annual event,” she remarked.

The “Macao Light Festival 2016 – Treasure of Light” will be staged from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The route covers a total of eight venues including the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van, Anim’Arte Nam Van, St. Lawrence’s Church, the Mandarin’s House, Lilau Square, the Moorish Barracks and Barra Square. Revolving around a quest for the “Treasure of Light,” the festival invites citizens and visitors to embark on an adventure as “explorers” look for the seven lost Energy Gems of Mazu, which symbolize ‘hope,’ ‘perseverance,’ ‘health,’ ‘happiness,’ ‘harvest,’ ‘bravery’ and ‘faithfulness.’

The production team of the festival this year is comprised mainly of Macau residents and partners from Hong Kong. The entire production features innovative projection techniques of video mapping which is not confined to an architecture façade. The video mapping show at the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre will be projected upon a cascade of water. In addition, more interactive elements as well as a new music and light show will be included to attract more spectators. A new mobile application named “Treasure of Light” is being launched this year, featuring maps of the covered routes, programs, theme games, the latest information and a selfie-taking feature. The content of the app is available in Chinese and English.

Four video mapping shows namely “Sailing”, “Inheritance”, “Source of Water” and “Carrying-on” will be staged at the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, the Mandarin’s House, Lilau Square and Barra Square respectively. The shows will help the audience to travel back into the old days of Macau to experience its moving stories.

Other features of the festival are the seven sets of light installations in total will be rolled out at various locations, including “Lake of Treasure” comprising 360 LED glow balls at the Nam Van Lake Nautical Centre, “Path of Treasure” at Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van, “Light Painting, Neon Sketching and Street of Illusion” at Anim’Arte Nam Van, “Blessing Stairways” at St. Lawrence’s Church, “Tree of Blessing” at Lilau Square, “Cave of Gems” at the Moorish Barracks and “Harbor of Hope” at Barra Square. Most of the light installations will shine with new interactive elements. Among them, the “Light Painting” will enable spectators to create their own graffiti of light and share photos on social network, while “Neon Sketching” will allow participants to sketch their own art pieces in neon light.

The inaugural edition of the “Macao Light Festival – Journey of Lights” was held one year ago.