Cultural Affairs Bureau launches the Macao Reading Festival 2025 on the first weekend of December
In order to further promote Macao’s development as a “City of Reading” and enrich the cultural life of the community, the Macao Reading Festival 2025 (hereinafter referred to as “Reading Festival”), organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will be held from 5 to 7 December at the Taipa Houses. Themed “Reading Vacation”, the event not only offers a weekend that combines reading, arts and leisure, but also incorporates elements of the 15th National Games and the National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the National Special Olympics Games, extending the vibrant atmosphere of the National Games. Admission is free and all are welcome to participate.
The Reading Festival will be held from 5pm to 10pm on 5 December, and from 3pm to 10pm on 6 and 7 December, respectively, at the Taipa Houses, featuring an “Outdoor Library”, “Art and Cultural Book Fair”, “Sky Cinema”, “Café and Cultural and Creative Market”, performances, “Chill Zone”, “Serenity Corner” and game booths. Two libraries from the Greater Bay Area have been specially invited to set up booths, fostering exchange and interaction between libraries in Guangdong Province and Macao. Photo installations and a lucky draw will be available onsite. The event will also incorporate elements of the 15th National Games and the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympics Games, including the mascots “Xiyangyang” and “Lerongrong”, allowing residents to take photos and enjoy the vibrant “Reading Vacation”.
In conjunction with the theme, the Reading Festival will specially launch a series of therapeutic reading activities and workshops, including the “Book Travelers” Shared Reading Activity and the “Recharge Your Spirit” Workshop, creating joyful and innovative reading experiences. In addition, the “Family Fairy Tale Cosplay Challenge” will also be held during the event. Successful registered family teams will take to the stage with other “book characters” at the Reading Festival and compete for fabulous prizes.
In addition, the Reading Festival will feature pre-event activities, including the lecture “Self-Upgrade Through Reading: The Life Hacker's Journey”, provided by the Macao Science Center, scheduled to be held on 30 November, exploring the relationship between personal growth and reading, and offering the public a feast of ideas and literature. In order to enrich the academic presentation of the Reading Festival, the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the public libraries of Hong Kong jointly organise the exhibition “The Inheritance of Chinese Classics: Special Exhibition of the Macao Ancient Chinese Books Chamber and the Hong Kong Hok Hoi Library”. The exhibition will showcase the contributions of both libraries have made over the past century to the transmission of Chinese classical studies. Further information about the exhibition will be announced in due course.
The Reading Festival is organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, co-organised by the Livelihood Affairs Bureau of Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, the Education and Youth Development Bureau, the Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Macao Science Center, and supported by various organisations, including the Macao Youth Federation, the Macao New Chinese Youth Association, the General Association of Chinese Students of Macao and the Macau Youth Development Service Centre.
Some activities of the Reading Festival require pre-registration through the Macao One Account. Registrations for lectures, shared reading activity, workshops and the role-play contest can be made through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account. Admission is free.
For more information about the activities, please visit the Macao Reading Festival 2025 website ( www.library.gov.mo/macaoreadingfestival ), or the mobile application “My Library”, or contact theSir Robert Ho Tung Library through tel. no.2837 7117during the opening hours of the library.