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The ‘Parade through Macao, Latin City’ in celebration of the 17th anniversary of Macao’s Handover to China, will be held on 4 December. This year the Parade takes the classic Chinese text Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing) as its background. “VIVA’s Adventures through Shan Hai” comprise 60 local and foreign participating groups in a total of nearly 1,200 participants. Local groups responded actively to the call for participation in the Parade, with performances featuring Cantonese opera, theatre, music, martial arts, folk and traditional and oriental dance. The Parade will also feature a number of outstanding foreign participating groups, from Latin-speaking countries and other foreign regions, including French group Plasticiens Volants which again will bring huge balloons that add colour to the event’s visual impact; Rome Majorettes from Italy, specialized in the classic discipline of majorettes and cheerleading to generate excitement and festive joy; Ballet Afro Tuga from Portugal which presents a big show based on African traditional percussion and rhythms featured in festive celebrations and religious rituals; and renowned Spanish troupe Robots composed by coloured space robots using special jumping stilts. The Parade also features other extraordinary participating groups, such as Revista de Montevideo from Uruguay, Comparsa de Badajoz from Spain, Tambourin Dance of the Liannan Yao Autonomous County of Guangdong Province from Mainland China, inscribed in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Dragon-fish Dance of Sha Chong Cun of Panyu District of Guangzhou City from Mainland China, Make Friends With Puppets from Hong Kong and the Latin Overseas Chinese Group, presenting wonderful performances. This year, the route of the Parade includes installations based on the mythological characters of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, enhancing the festive atmosphere. Relevant installations are found in different sites, such as the Mottled flying-fish, found at Freguesia de Santo António, a fish that can fly and swim underwater and which arrival brings abundant harvests; the Qiyu-bird, found at Santa Casa da Misericórdia Albergue and Tap Siac, which has three heads and six tails and can drive away nightmares as well as get rid of terrible evils; the Hairy people who have their bodies covered with thick hair; and the Tiny people who have a very short stature. The Torch-Dragon, a deity which can manipulate rains and winds, is also found at Senado Square. The members of public participating in the Parade can have the chance to witness these creative installations. For more information about the Parade, please visit the Parade webpage at www.icm.gov.mo/macaoparade and the Parade page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/macaoparade.
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The ‘Parade through Macao, Latin City’, celebrating the 17th anniversary of Macao’s handover to China, will be held on Sunday, 4 December, with the motto “An Annual Celebration for the Entire City - VIVA” and themed “VIVA’s Adventures through Shan Hai”. VIVA will travel through a time gate and set off to the mysterious land of the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing), kicking off a fantastic adventure and taking part in the “Peace, Love and Cultural Integration” party, celebrating the handover together. Set off on a fantastic adventure through a new route This year the Parade takes the Classic of Mountains and Seas as its background. VIVA travels through extraordinary mountains and rivers, where he meets bizarre beasts that tell him amusing stories along the way. On the day of the Parade, VIVA crosses the time gate at 4pm at Largo da Companhia de Jesus, taking off from the Ruins of St. Paul’s, together with performing groups from Latin-speaking countries and other foreign regions as well as hundreds of local talents, on a journey that goes through Rua de S. Paulo, St. Anthony’s Square, Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro, Rua dos Artilheiros, Rua de Sanches de Miranda, Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro, Santa Casa da Misericórdia Albergue, Rua de São Roque, Rua Nova de São Lázaro, St. Lazarus Square, Rua do Volong, Rua do Tap Siac and Rua de Afonso de Albuquerque, arriving at its final destination at 5:30pm at Tap Siac Square to celebrate the handover in a festive and carnival atmosphere. Additionally, this year the Parade offers an alternative route: some performing groups will depart from Senado Square and march through Largo de S. Domingos, Rua de S. Domingos, Rua da Palha and Rua de S. Paulo, finally joining the remainder of the parade at the Ruins of St. Paul’s, thereby inviting even more participants to take part in the celebration of the handover. The Classic of Mountains and Seas is a popular Chinese ancient classic that records the geography of ancient times, the deities and beasts and bizarre myths, and is known as China’s oldest “encyclopaedia”. In his adventure, VIVA comes across numerous interesting friends. Additional activities contribute to the Parade’s festive atmosphere A series of activities will be rolled out in conjunction with the Parade, including rehearsals throughout the city, which offer a glimpse of the event. Before the Parade kicks off on 4 December, several mysterious creatures with painted faces will pop up along the route to colour the faces of the public. In addition, workshops, a photography contest and social media games with prizes will be progressively announced and open to the public’s participation. The parade is one of the major events in celebration of Macao’s handover to China and has already become one of the city’s trademark festive events since its first edition in 2011. The organizer has made arrangements with TV channels from Hong Kong to broadcast excerpts of the event, thereby increasing the reputation of the Parade. TDM – Teledifusão de Macau S.A. will broadcast the entire event live and outdoor screens will be installed at several locations - Senado Square, Rotunda de Carlos da Maia, Areia Preta Garden and Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro. The popular Hong Kong TVB programme ‘Scoop’ will feature a foretaste of the event on 2 and 15 December, as well as a Parade Special Programme dedicated to the event’s highlights on 17 December. On the day of the Parade, crowd control measures will be implemented and some streets will be temporarily closed to traffic. The public is thus advised to walk to the Parade venues on foot or use public transportation. In order to ensure public safety, use of unmanned aerial devices will not be allowed. The Parade is organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and is co-organized by the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Sports Bureau, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Public Security Police Force, the Transport Bureau, the Fire Services Bureau, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of Macao and the Macao Association for the Promotion of Exchange between Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The Cultural Affairs Bureau also receives the support from the Macao General Union of Neighbourhood Associations, the Macao Sam Pa Mun Residents Mutual Aid Association, the Macao Soi Ho Cheok Residents Mutual Aid Association, as well as from the VIVA Ambassadors supporters, namely the Bank of China Macau Branch Volunteers Association, the Macao Community Youth Volunteers Development Association, the General Volunteers Association of Macao, The Boys' Brigade, Macau, The Scout Association of Macau and the Association of Volunteers Social Service Macao. This edition is also fully supported by Air Macau Co, Ltd. TDM - Teledifusão de Macau S.A. is the designated live television broadcaster. The Press Conference of the ‘Parade through Macao, Latin City’ was held by the Cultural Affairs Bureau on 27 October, 12pm, at Tourism Activities Centre, 2nd floor, Congress Hall. The Press Conference was attended by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Ung Vai Meng; the President of the Sport Bureau, Pun Weng Kun; the Deputy Commissioner of the Fire Services Bureau, Chao Ka Cheong; the Vice-President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leung Hio Ming and Chan Peng Fai; the Chief of the Public Relations Division of the Macau Government Tourism Office, Christina, Lau Fong Chi; the Chief of the Department of Youth of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Un Hoi Cheng; the Acting Chief and Deputy Commissioner of Traffic Department / Islands Traffic Branch of the Public Security Police Force, Sam Chi Nap; the President of the Macao Association for the Promotion of Exchange Between Asia-Pacific and Latin America, Gary Ngai Mei Cheong; the Chief of the Department of Cultural Events of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Kent Ieong Chi Kin; the Chief of the Department for the Promoting Cultural and Creative Industries of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Frankie Ho Ka Weng; the Chief of the Division of the Cultural Promotion of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Boyce Lam Chon Keong; the Chief of the Division of Recreational Activities of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Cheang Kai Meng; the General Manager of Marketing of Air Macau Co. Ltd, Ringo Chan; the Director of the Programmes and Production Division of TDM - Teledifusão de Macau S.A., Lok Kong; the Vice-President of the Macao General Union of Neighborhoods Associations, Che Mei Leng; the President of the Macao Soi Ho Cheok Residents Mutual Aid Association, Lei Vai Man; and the Executive Director of the Macao Sam Pa Mun Residents Mutual Aid Association, Felisberto Lao, and the representatives of participating groups in the parade this year.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, will lead on 2 November a Government delegation to Beijing for discussions on the planning and management of Macao’s waters. While in Beijing, Mr Chui will call on officials of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Water Resources, the General Administration of Customs and the State Oceanic Administration. How to advance Macao’s contributions to the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st -Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as “Belt and Road” initiative) will be also a topic of discussions. Macao officials accompanying the Chief Executive to Beijing will include: the Director-General of the Macao Customs Service, Mr Vong Iao Lek; the Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms O Lam; the Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping; the Director of the Protocol, Public Relations and External Affairs Office, Mr Fung Sio Weng; the Director of the Marine and Water Bureau, Ms Wong Soi Man; and the Director of the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau, Mr Li Canfeng. The Chief Executive will return to Macao on 4 November. While Mr Chui is away, the Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak, and the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Chan Hoi Fan, will consecutively take on the role of acting Chief Executive.
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Published by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), the Selected Works of C2 Magazine 2015 has been released in Chinese, Portuguese and English versions. It features highlight reports from C2 magazine in 2015 and displays the trend of Macao’s cultural and creative industries in a comprehensive way. The publication is now available for sale. In January 2015, IC founded the e-magazine C2 (www.c2magazine.mo) in the hope of facilitating information exchange among peers in Macao’s cultural and creative industries while revealing the current trends and charms of local cultural and creative brands. It also aims to enrich the city’s cultural and creative atmosphere while promoting a general awareness to cultural and creative industries. Produced by 100 Plus Cultural Creative Development Ltd., C2 is a trilingual magazine (in Chinese, Portuguese and English), and is highly supported by readers with an increasing number of subscriptions. To allow convenient review of highlight reports from last year’s C2 magazine and to provoke more discussion, exchanges and possible collaborations among readers and practitioners of the sector, IC has compiled Selected Works of C2 Magazine 2015 from 60 articles selected from five columns of 12 issues of the magazine, namely “Feature”, “Chit Chat”, “Extravaganza”, “Around the Globe” and “Blogs”. It incorporates the groundbreaking thoughts, extraordinary ideas and trends of Macao’s cultural and creative industry in fields of films, fashion, visual arts, publication, design, music and animations, among others. Selected Works of C2 Magazine 2015 is available for sale at MOP90 (regardless of language of publication) at the Macao Archives, the Public Information Centre at the Vicky Plaza, the Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre, the Mandarin’s House Cultural Heritage Information Center and Gift Shop, the Macao Cultural and Creative Industries Map-themed shop and the Creative Casa currently. For enquiries, please contact Ms. Tang, staff member of the IC, through tel. no. 2892 4040 during office hours.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the unemployment rate for July-September 2016 held stable as in the previous period (June-August 2016), at 1.9%; the underemployment rate was 0.5%, up by 0.1 percentage point. Total labour force was 401,800 and the labour force participation rate stood at 72.9%. Total employment increased by 1,600 from June-August, at 394,200. Number of the unemployed was 7,600, up by 200; fresh labour force entrants searching for their first job accounted for 23.7% of the total unemployed, up by 3.2 percentage points. In the third quarter of 2016, both the general unemployment rate (1.9%) and the unemployment rate of local residents (2.6%) remained unchanged as in the previous quarter. Total employment increased by 3,800 quarter-to-quarter, with those aged 16-24 rising by 2,600. Analysed by industry, employment in Hotels, Restaurants & Similar Activities (58,400) and Wholesale & Retail Trade (45,600) rose by 3,300 and 3,200 respectively, while that in Gaming & Junket Activities (80,500) dropped by 3,100. Median monthly employment earnings of the employed held stable as in the previous quarter, at MOP15,000 in the third quarter, with those engaging in Gaming & Junket Activities and Construction earning MOP19,000 and MOP15,000 respectively. Moreover, median earnings of the employed residents stayed unchanged from the previous quarter, at MOP18,000.
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Xiao Jianbo, an assistant professor from the University of Macau’s (UM) Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS), has been included on Thomson Reuters’ list of Highly Cited Researchers 2016 for the citation frequency of his papers in the field of agricultural science. The listing is testament to Xiao’s contributions to agricultural science and the influence of his academic works. This year, about 180 scholars in 18 fields whose affiliations are higher education institutions in Hong Kong, Macao, and mainland China have been included on the list. The data used in the analysis and selection of the Highly Cited Researchers came from Essential Science Indicators (ESI), 2004-2014, which then included 128,887 Highly Cited Papers. Each of these papers ranked among the top 1 per cent by total citations according to their ESI field assignment and year of publication. The final new list contains about 3,000 Highly Cited Researchers in 21 fields, 6 per cent of whom are scholars whose affiliations are higher education institutions in Hong Kong, Macao, and mainland China. Xiao has published nearly 70 papers in SCI journals as a first-author or corresponding author. 16 of his papers in the fields of nutrition and Chinese medical sciences have been listed as ESI Highly Cited Papers. Xiao received a PhD degree in nutrition from Okayama Prefectural University and another PhD degree in chemistry from Central South University. He has worked as a Humboldt Scholar at the Julius Maximilian University of Wurzburg. Xiao is currently a member of the editorial committee of nine SCI journals, including Phytomedicine and Phytochemical Analysis. Currently there are 46 Highly Cited Papers by UM scholars in the ESI database, 15 of which are written by scholars from the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and the ICMS.
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The Macao Cultural Centre, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, presents two family programmes to be staged this December and early January. Right before Christmas, Japanese Theatre Hikosen is bringing the puppet musical The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, while the Norwich Puppet Theatre will be coming from England to celebrate New Year with Three Colours, a children’s play specially conceived for the little audience. Having toured through more than 20 countries, Theatre Hikosen is returning to Macao after an energetic string of previous performances, from Peter Pan to Treasure Island and the musical Chibi Maruko Chan. This time, the Japanese company will present The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a puppet musical based on the classic American tale. Dubbed in Cantonese with English subtitles, the show will take kids three years old and above into the magical world of Dorothy and friends through a colourful rendition of an eternal adventure that enchanted generations of little audiences and plenty of cultures around the world. The Norwich Puppet Theatre was founded in England where it has been producing original shows, workshops and various theatrical projects for over 35 years. Besides its extensive touring in UK, the troupe has been invited to perform in festivals around the world. This time, the company will be using the colours red, blue and green as a theme to present Three Colours, a performance merging projections, body movement and music, guiding kids two years old and above to discover the beauty of nature landscapes. CCM presents The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from December 23 to 25, 2016 (Friday to Sunday) at the Grand Auditorium. Three Colours will be staged from December 30, 2016 to January 1, 2017. Tickets will be available from October 30 at CCM’s box office and Macao Ticketing Network outlets at various prices and discounts. For further information on promotional offers and ticketing, please visit www.ccm.gov.mo or call (853) 2870 0699. Credit card ticketing hotline (853) 2840 0555.
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Consumer Council conducted its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in October on 26 October for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included 13 supermarkets in Sé Parish. The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps, and on the Council’s WeChat account page. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM’s Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries. With reference to the local seven parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided around 100 supermarkets into 8 areas for price collection. The Council collects prices from these supermarkets for the provision of a more comprehensive database for consumers to check price discrepancies and make price comparisons according to their desired locations. For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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Consumer Council’s latest issue of Consumer Report includes a detailed test report on sunglasses. Consumers are suggested not to determine the quality of sunglasses by their prices and to purchase products with instruction manuals. The main function of sunglasses is protecting the eyes. However, consumers’ eyes may be hurt if they wear sunglasses which fail to protect them from UV rays. Consumer Council tested ten sunglasses ranging from about $60 to $2,000 for their quality. Test result: all samples qualified regarding optical properties The test result shows that optical properties, including UV penetration depth, distribution of light on the lens, etc. of all sunglasses examined, meet the required standard. The test result also reviews that regarding optical properties and durability, the quality of the sunglasses has no direct relation to their prices, as many samples which cost more than a $1,000 score lower marks than those costing less than $100. Consumers may refer to the test report in Consumer Report and are advised to purchase sunglasses with instruction leaflet; it is also recommended to reflect any discomfort with the seller and inquire from an ophthalmologist for advice. Case online checking by consumers The Council launched the ‘Complaint case status enquiry’ early this year. Consumers can log into the system on the Council’s website and check the status of the complaint case they lodge at the Council. A detailed instruction on how to use the service is featured in the latest magazine. The current issue also features interviews of two Class A ‘Certified Shops’ from last year. Consumer Report is now available free of charge at the Council (Av. Horta e Costa, N.º 24-A, Edf. Cheung Heng, R/C), and the service counter of the Council at Macao SAR Government Service Centre (Rua Nova da Areia Preta, Nº52), Public Information Centre at Vicky Plaza, libraries and bookstores. Consumers may also access the magazine online on the Council’s official website (http://www.consumer.gov.mo) and WeChat official account. For enquiry, please call 8988-9315.
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In order to encourage original academic research on the culture of Macao and on the exchange between Macao, Mainland China and other countries, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) launched the 2016 Academic Research Grants programme. After evaluation, IC selected three candidates from Mainland China, Macao and Portugal . In order to ensure the integrity and impartiality of the selection process and in accordance with the Academic Research Grant Regulations, IC has commissioned the Centre for Macau Studies of the University of Macau to organize a panel of experts to carry out an anonymous review of the applications and to provide academic comments for the Selection Panel. The Selection Panel was composed by the Vice President of IC, Chan Peng Fai; the President of the Administrative Committee of Macao Foundation, Wu Zhiliang; the Director of the Research Center for Humanities and Social Sciences of Tsing Hua University, Taiwan, Huang Yi-Long; the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Macau, Hao Yufan; the Dean of the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management of the Macau University of Science and Technology, Xie Feifan; the Head of the Department of Portuguese of the University of Macau, Yao Jingming; and the Head of the Division of Research and Publications of IC, Wong Man Fai. After seeking advice from professionals and a profound debate, the Panel selected three out of a total of twenty-seven applications received, namely: 1. “Studies on Matteo Ricci’s world map” (“利瑪竇世界地圖考論”) proposed by Gong Yingyan, holder of a Ph.D. in history from Hangzhou University, presently a professor working for the Faculty of Humanities and Media at Ningbo University. An important researcher deeply involved in the studies related to Matteo Ricci's world map, Dr. Gong has profound knowledge of the research status of Matteo Ricci’s world map and the development of related data. This proposal aims to collect comprehensively the latest findings and to gathering the national and international research accomplishments obtained so far. It also aims to outline in an orderly manner the process or creation of Ricci’s map of China, recover the Western names of places on the map, and further study the influence of the Matteo Ricci’s world map. 2. “Studies on curriculum reforms for elementary and secondary schools and cultural inheritance in Macao since the nineteenth century” (“十九世紀以來澳門中小學課程變革與文化傳承研究”) by Guo Xiaoming, holder of a Ph.D. in education from Nanjing Normal University, presently employed by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government. From an historical perspective, this proposal presents the curriculum reforms for elementary and secondary schools and cultural inheritance in Macao since the nineteenth century. The study, focused on the current curriculum reform that is under progress in Macao, recommends the establishment of “limited identification system” for textbooks, and suggests the inclusion of the “recognition of identity” and traditional Chinese culture in the curriculum of schools. 3. “The genesis of a ‘translation’: Macao and the Jesuits in the formation of ‘Chinese Christianity’ (1600-1660)” (A génese de uma “tradução”: Macau e os jesuítas na formação de um “cristianismo chinês” (1600-1660)) by António Vitor Sanches Ferreira Ribeiro, holder of a Ph.D. in modern history from the Faculty of Literature at University of Coimbra. By analyzing the descriptions in preaching details of the Jesuits and the situation of their followers in China, the proposal aims to further review the prospects and measures that Western Christianity has taken in the pursuit of their stay in Chinese territory, thus leading to formation of a “Christianity out of the Christianity”. For details about the Academic Research Grant Regulations and the list of grantees, please visit www.icm.gov.mo. For enquiries, please contact Ms. Silvia Kuan, staff member of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, through tel. no. 83996381 during office hours or the following email: silviak@icm.gov.mo.
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