MGM “Barra Spring Fest” with CNY Festivities Galore to Revitalize Barra District

The “Reminiscences of Barra: A Visual Journey Archives and Arts Exhibition” debuts at Navy Yard No. 1 of Barra District.

As the Lunar New Year rolls in during February, MGM has launched a fresh revitalization initiative “Barra Spring Fest” – in which MGM has extended its arts & culture ingenuity and network into Barra district, and collaborated with local SMEs, artists, and performers to jointly inject contemporary, trendy, artistic and lifestyle elements to celebrate the concept of “Living Art in Style”. The “Barra Spring Fest” gives fresh impetus to Navy Yard No. 1 & 2 of Barra District, by bringing in fun-filled, exclusive CNY happenings ranging from arts & culture, leisure, refreshments, shopping, and more – with a view to revitalizing Barra district into a novel social and cultural hub.

A group of officiating guests took a tour at the Exhibition and rejoiced in the festive vibes of MGM “Barra Spring Fest”.

The “Reminiscences of Barra: A Visual Journey Archives and Arts Exhibition” (Exhibition) – co-organized by MGM and the Cultural Affairs Bureau (ICM), and co-hosted by the Macao Cultural Development Promotion Association – is a signature event among all happenings of “Barra Spring Fest”. It made its grand debut today at Navy Yard No. 1, with its opening ceremony attended by a line-up of guests, including Leong Wai Man, President of ICM; Bai Bing, Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Kenneth Feng, President and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited; Lok Hei, Vice President of the Macao Cultural Development Promotion Association; and Fong Man Wai, Curator of the Exhibition.

The Exhibition revolves around themes of architectural conservation, community development and cultural promotion; and displays artworks created by local artists that document the histories of Barra. They include documentary materials carefully singled out by ICM, as well as a total of 70 watercolor paintings, traditional Chinese paintings, and photography works by Macau artists. Such a collection enables audiences to explore Barra’s heritage from various angles through multiple art forms. The Exhibition itself is also intended to offer a widened stage for local artists to better showcase their creations to the public. Free guided tours are available at specific time slots on weekends, allowing people to experience the remarkable stories of Macau behind each artwork under the guidance of docents without the need for advance reservation.

The Exhibition displays an array of artworks created by local artists that document the histories of Barra.

Kenneth Feng, President and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, said “Barra was the origin of Sino-Western fusion in Macau, a pivotal node on the maritime Silk Road, and also a center of local maritime industry. MGM joins hands with ICM and the Macao Cultural Development Promotion Association to present this joint exhibition, where we draw on art to reimagine Barra’s history into a new limelight of the city, guiding everyone to rediscover the cultural and historical allure of Barra. MGM is always committed to its development commitments. This time, we have combined this Exhibition with multiple festive experiences to create a vibrant hub at Barra district, where culture, tourism and business can collectively thrive. Our goal here is to entice more people to visit Barra via walking routes connecting the Inner Harbor and the Historic Centre of Macao, and thus further revitalizing the Barra district.”

Leong Wai Man, President of ICM, said “The Barra district bears tangible testimony to Macau’s industrial development. It once played a key role in local shipbuilding and now stands as a rather intact area of Macau’s maritime culture and industrial facilities. The SAR government has collaborated with MGM to initiate the Barra Revitalization Plan since last year. We have endeavored to incorporate heritage conservation and creativity to render the area new and vital functions. Through this Exhibition that embraces histories and local artworks, we aim to showcase the historical transitions and cultural richness of Barra district, beckoning more people to support and participate in its future development.”

To further enhance Barra district’s artistic ambiance and encourage the use of public transportation, MGM taps into the synergy of “culture + tourism + transportation” and establishes a dedicated “gallery” at LRT Barra Station – using in-station lightboxes to display artworks related to Barra for passengers to appreciate on-the-go during their commutes. Besides, MGM also partners with local renowned artist Lok Hei to introduce a novel “Macao: Back to Common Roots” AR Experience onto the MGM “Macau Cruise” sightseeing cruise that launched last year – enabling passengers to utilize innovative technology to enjoy aboard Lok’s paintings depicting eight “First” milestones of Macau’s East-West cultural fusion. Such a travel mode also offers facilitated travel between two historical heritage areas in just 30 minutes, opening up a new sea-land arts route traversing the ancient and modern times, allowing residents and tourists to immerse into a breezy, cozy Barra CityWalk journey!

MGM “Barra Spring Fest” also comes with a wealth of CNY Activities to shape Barra District into a hub of “Living Art in Style”.

Community Revitalization Benefitting Macau SMEs

The MGM “Barra Spring Fest” is also designed with the purpose to support and benefit local SMEs. MGM has invited multiple SMEs to participate in this CNY initiative. It features local flower shop A.O. Flower, which brings in flower stall and “Floral Workshops” where participants can style festive flowers to welcome the new year. In addition, many local well-known brands, like Choi Heong Yuen Bakery Macau, F. Rodrigues (suc.res) LDA and Yau Kei Dragon’s Bear Candy, station in Barra district to offer local specialties like Almond Cookies, Portuguese Sardine Pate, and Dragon Beard Candy. MGM also invited local coffee shop Fill Café and creative beverage studio ASAP to transform Navy Yard No. 2 into a “Day Cafe & Night Bar” pop-up for visitors to enjoy specially brewed coffee during daylight and delight in Chinese tea-infused cocktails at night, fully embracing the charm of Barra district all day long.

Flower Ieong, Founder of local SME coffee shop Fill Café, said “I am delighted to participate in MGM “Barra Spring Fest”, which provides local SMEs within Barra like us a broader business platform. The event prompts more residents and tourists to pay visits into our community, which in turn drives visitation and consumption. It not only expands business opportunities for us, but also allows more international guests to experience the creativity of Macau SMEs first-hand. I am happy to see many people are getting more interested in Barra district because of this event, which helps transform it from once a lesser-known place to now a popular leisure spot.”

The “Barra Spring Fest” also features an array of diverse and interactive Spring Festival activities. MGM puts up a Bamboo Lion Head Installation, which plays as both a photo spot and music stage, in the open space opposite Navy Yard No. 2. During weekends and public holidays of CNY, local musicians – including Aiden, Iron Son, Winnie, Coco, FIDA, and local band Third Impact – will grace the stage and bring busking performances to the public. There will also be interactive and fun activities, along with surprises from the God of fortune, ensuring a memorable cultural tourism experience for visitors.

For detailed information about the “Barra Spring Fest,” please visit:
https://www.mgm.mo/en/cotai/entertainment/BarraSpringFest