Tourism director commends rabbit lantern installations for complementing fireworks

Rabbit lantern installations displayed inside and outside a local shopping mall will complement the local fireworks display contest, director of Tourism Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said over the weekend.

Featuring eight massive rabbit lanterns designed by famed Hong Kong designer Alan Chan, the 6th Macau Lantern Festival, co-organized by One Central Macau shopping mall and MGM, opened last Friday and will run until the end of November.

During her speech at the opening ceremony, the tourism official recommended several locations where fireworks viewers will have better views. One of these locations is the promenade of the shopping mall. She said that the addition of the rabbit lantern display will help elevate the festive mood.

Chan’s rabbit lantern installations will be shown both on the coastal promenade of the shopping mall and inside the shopping mall itself. Introducing his work, Chan said that the rabbits were depicted in varying postures to highlight the mammal’s vital, playful and sometimes cheeky characteristics. The postures also symbolize humankind’s efforts to thrive despite the restrictions of the past three years.
He deliberately picked white because he wanted to convey the notion of “back to basics” and purity. White also blends well with its visual surroundings.

The rabbits have lotus flowers to symbolize Macau and, more importantly, to accentuate the Kun Iam statue, not far from the exhibition. “I have taken the entire neighborhood into consideration,” Chan said.

During the festivities, at Mandarin Oriental, there is a delightful “Rabbit Surprise” cake at The Mandarin Cake Shop. Make sure not to miss the National Day Promotion at One Central Macau from 29th September to 8th October. Spend MOP30,000 or more at One Central Macau during this period and receive gift vouchers with up to 3.8% in rebates. AL