ZAPE to transform into a night market for 10 days starting Friday

The Macao Tourism Government Office (MGTO) announced yesterday that it will partner with the Association of Returned Overseas Chinese Macau to host a 10-day night market in ZAPE. The market will transform Rua de Cantão and Rua de Pequim into a pedestrian zone filled with food stalls and cultural creative booths.

“The event is set to kick off on August 15 under the theme ‘Discovering the Flavors of ZAPE,’ and it aims to bring together the pedestrian streets in the area, including Rua de Cantão, Rua de Pequim, and Rua de Xangai,” said Cheng Wai Tong, deputy director of MGTO.

According to Cheng, MOP4.6 million has been allocated for the event’s overall budget, which MGTO and the association will jointly cover. This means participating businesses won’t need to make any additional investments. MGTO will invest the larger share amounting to MOP3.6 million.

Cheng emphasized that the event aims to promote local economic development by attracting tourists to spend money.

“Although the event will last for only 10 days, we hope to use this opportunity to lay the groundwork for future community renovations that better align with tourists’ needs and spending habits,” he said.

The same official added that the ZAPE area has been lacking in community events, making this upcoming event significant, given the area’s characteristics.

“This event will be a pioneering effort for this area. MGTO plans to closely monitor it to gauge how the community and visitors respond,” Cheng said in response to a media inquiry.

According to Cheng, the MGTO has engaged in discussions with 21 hotels and businesses in the district, with participation steadily increasing. During the event, the authorities will gather feedback from ZAPE residents to ensure a balance between the needs of tourists and them.

He noted that recruitment for the event has already started, and activities will be extended into the evening to cater to the nightlife habits of residents there. However, he emphasized that business hours will not extend past midnight.

POP MART CITYWALK ‘quite successful’

Concurrently with the unveiling of ZAPE’s night market, Cheng said that the activity co-organized by the MGTO and POP MART has been “quite successful so far”, attracting visitors to the area and boosting consumption.

Noting that overall results will be announced once the activity concludes, MGTO unveiled yesterday data that states that in the first two phases, from June 6 to July 26, the event attracted approximately 343,000 visitors to the four community-based installations and activity hubs.

The consumption-based lottery received 1.28 million entries, with 850,000 users triggering lottery opportunities through purchases. The total eligible transaction amount reached MOP1.6 billion.