Colourful Local Events and Festivals Provide a Feast for the Senses in One of the Far East’s Most Fascinating Cities
As Macau prepares to celebrate its tenth anniversary as a Special Administrative Region of China later this year, the city’s calendar of festivals and events takes on extra buzz and vitality. The spring months of April and May in particular are packed with fascinating and diverse ways to enjoy the uniqueness of Macau, highlights being the ‘A-Ma Festival’ (honouring the goddess from whom the name Macau is derived) and the decidedly unusual and colourful ‘Feast of the Drunken Dragon’.
With nearly 50 events, public holidays and festivals taking place all over Macau each year, there is a ready line-up of activities to entertain both visitors and locals alike. Last year nearly 22 million visitors - just under 80,000 of which were from the UK - came from around the world to experience all this fascinating city has to offer. The Historic Centre, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, continues to prove an especially popular draw.
The April and May events line-up reflects Macau’s unique European and Chinese heritage and diversity and includes a wide range of exciting sporting, cultural and artistic activities. Highlights include:
• The A-Ma Festival (18th April) is arguably the festival most identified with the city as the name of the Goddess of Seafarers is the source of the name of the city itself (‘A-Ma-Gau’ meaning Bay of A-Ma). Legend has it that stricken fishermen in a storm off the coast appealed to the deity for help and when the tempest subsequently abated, they built coastal temples to honour her and give thanks. The A-Ma Temple, the oldest surviving building in Macau with parts dating from 1573, is a particularly popular gathering place on this day, when fishermen and their families burn incense, let off firecrackers and pray for continued protection. Outside the temple stalls are set up selling a variety of trinkets and ‘lucky money’, and performances of Chinese opera are staged every day for a week. More firecrackers are lit on the decks of the fishing boats which takes turns to line up in front of the temple, adding to the deafening noise and general gaiety of the celebrations.
• The Feast of the Drunken Dragon (2nd May) is a rather unusual Chinese festival, the origins of which are shrouded in the mists of time. Buddhist believers tell of a serpent monster that visited some villagers who were beleaguered by the plaque but were saved by a Buddhist monk who killed the serpent dragon (and lifted the plague). Buddhist followers celebrate by cleaning statues of the Buddha (the day is also celebrated as Feast of Bathing of the Lord Buddha) and local fishermen perform a ‘drunken dance’ with wooden dragon heads and tails in a continuous procession from Senado Square towards the inner harbour, stopping to drink and eat along the way. The conclusion of the procession is a great feast in the evening which is usually very ‘merry’.
• Also staged on this day is the Tam Kong Festival (2nd May), a lively spectacle when the birth of Taoist child-god Tam Kong is celebrated. A deity also devoted to the protection of seafarers and fishermen, Tam Kong (or Tam Kung) is particularly venerated by the villagers on the island of Coloane and over five nights, performances by established Hong Kong Chinese Opera stars excite much local fervour. There is a parade by followers in colourful costumes, culminating in a special feast organised by the villagers and open to residents and visitors.
• The 20th Macau Arts Festival (2nd – 30th May) has steadily increased in stature and popularity. This year’s theme - ‘Beautiful Arts, Beautiful Life’ – embraces a wide variety of over 70 performances by artists from all over Europe (including the UK). They will join local and mainland Chinese performers to shine in a variety of forms including orchestral concerts, painting exhibitions, dance and theatre, and Chinese opera. It is especially during this period that the talent and enthusiasm of Macau’s fledgling artistic community comes into its own and receives support and appreciation from fellow performers and residents alike.
• The Macau International Dragon Boat Festival (28th May) is an ancient Chinese festival held to commemorate the heroic poet Wat Yuen who protested against the decision of the emperor to go to war by drowning himself. Legend says that the villagers took to their boats to thrash the sea and stop his body being eaten by fish. Today Dragon Boat races are popular fixtures on many international calendars and are held all around the world. In Macau, the event will be staged on the Nam Van Lake with many local and foreign teams competing fiercely for the winner’s laurel.
Settled by the Portuguese for nearly 500 years, Macau became a cultural crossroads between east and west and this is reflected in its year round calendar of events and festivals. For visitors of all ages, interests and budgets, there’s always something special to see, do and experience in Macau, especially in the uplifting months of spring – and most without being charged a single Pataca!
www.macautourism.gov.mo
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