News

1st October Golden Week officially ended after a week. According to preliminary statistics, the total visitor arrivals in Macau during 1 – 7 October hit 896,847 of which 722,746 came from the Mainland. Compared with the corresponding 7-day period of last year, the total visitor arrivals during 1st October Golden Week surged by 5.7% this year, while the number of Mainland visitors grew by 12.1%. Know that Most Mainland tour-group visitors departed from Mainland China through Shenzhen and arrived at Macau via Hong Kong. As the "Tourism Law of the People's Republic of China" officially took effect on 1st October this year, Mainland visitor arrivals via Macau Ferry Terminal during 1st October Golden Week dropped drastically by 11.8% compared to the same period of last year, as opposed to the trends at other ports (including Barrier Gate, Cotai Frontier Post, Airport and Cross-Border Industrial District). Similarly, Mainland visitor arrivals via Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal and Inner Harbour saw an evident fall of 27.58% and 33.13% respectively. The average occupancy rate for 3 to 5 Star hotels was 88.71%, a year-to-year growth of 0.21%. The average occupancy rates for 3-Star and 4-Star hotels were 87.65% and 85.24% which dropped slightly by 0.8% and 0.43% respectively, whereas the rate for 5-Star hotels was 93.22% (a rise of 1%). The average room rate of 3 to 5 Star hotels was 1,933.71 patacas, a year-to-year increase of 11.04%. On the other hand, the average room rate of guest houses was 615.17 patacas (a growth of 16.83%). The average room rates of 2-Star and 3-Star hotels were 1,101.19 patacas and 1,773.96 patacas respectively (an increase of 20.03% and 10.82%), while the average room rates of 4-Star and 5-Star hotels were 1,639.2 patacas and 2,387.97 patacas which escalated by 10.22% and 11.78% respectively. Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) received 5 tourism-related complaints, 2 assistance requests and 2 commendations during 1st October Golden Week. The complaint cases mainly involved tourism service including hotel check-out formalities, service quality, taxi charge, shopping and tour guide service. The Office has followed up with the cases or transferred them to related departments for settlement. During the Golden Week, MGTO carried out 75 inspections at various ports and sightseeing spots. In terms of measures against illegal accommodation, MGTO carried out 6 joint actions, 32 premise inspections and sealed 3 premises allegedly operated as illegal accommodation in total. During the past 1st October Golden Week, MGTO adopted a series of measures not only to cater for the needs of citizens and visitors but also to perfect service quality in the tourism industry. The measures include tourism notification system activation, food guide publication and distribution, strengthening inspection duties and launching an online system for room-rate report, etc. The Office also promoted the 4 walking tour routes to visitors through various channels during 1st October Golden Week.
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Members of the public can once again visit the front block and gardens of Government Headquarters at the Open Day, on 19 and 20 October between 9 am and 6 pm. During the two-day opening, a bunch of rich programmes will be prepared for visitors, including performance by the Public Security Police Band and students from the School of Music and School of Dance of the Macao Conservatory.
There will also be guided tours of the first floor of the Headquarters and a photo exhibition of old Macao in the multi-purpose conference room. Meanwhile, the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau will hold a flower show, showcasing the beauty of some 20,000 different colours carnations at Government Headquarters. To enrich the exhibition, the flower show will be arranged in Chinese and Western styles and models. For more details, please browse http://www2.gcs.gov.mo/openday or www.gov.mo.
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Consumer Council conducted its specific price survey on tissue papers on 9th October for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th June. Result of the mentioned survey has been uploaded to the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and is available in the Council's 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. For inquiry, please call the Council's hotline: 8988 9315.
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The 27th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF) organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, kicked off on October 2nd. This year the MIMF established a special collaboration with the Cotai Strip Resorts Macao and has installed a Festival exhibitor at St. Mark's Square in the Grand Canal Shoppes at the The Venetian-Resort-Macao, attracting appreciative crowds of tourists. At the same time, there will be daily performances of famous operas arias and musical's themes included in this year's MIMF program, providing beautiful melodies to a diversified audience.
Throughout this year's MIMF, singers will perform daily at St. Mark's Square arias from Verdi's Aida as well as themes from the Broadway musical Miss Saigon, which uncover the charms of love and the splendour of life, pairing with the romantic atmosphere of the square and bringing touching melodies to tourists' and residents' ears. Included in the Festival's outreach programme, the "Flash Performances", held in several locations in the city in September and October by the Macao A Cappella Association, surprised residents and offered tourists brief performances, thereby deepening their cultural experiences in Macao. The festival programme is available in the Cultural Affairs Bureau website, at http://www.icm.gov.mo/fimm. 24-hour ticketing hotline: 28555555.
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Consumer Council conducted its 'Supermarket price survey' for October on 9th October for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets near Iao Hon Market and the Border Gate area (Portas do Cerco ) in N. Sra. de Fátima Parish. The latest 'Supermarket Price Survey' is now available on Consumer Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo), and the 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. 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. Consumers may also access the resources through WAP channels on their mobile phones. With reference to the local six 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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The exhibition "Jazz & Design – Niklaus Troxler", organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Macao S.A.R. Government, in collaboration with OCT Art & Design Gallery and the Macao Polytechnic Institute, will open on the 11th of October, Friday, at 6:30pm, at the Tap Seac Gallery, located at no. 95, Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida.
The exhibition features 100 posters by internationally renowned Swiss graphic designer Niklaus Troxler, showing his best works created during his prolific career spanning 35 years.
Troxler started organising jazz concerts in Willisau, Switzerland, in 1966 and by 1975 they had morphed into the Willisau Jazz Festival, an international contemporary jazz event that runs over several days. He has also produced all the festival posters from the outset, impressive and richly creative artworks. He uses changing lines and colour interaction, combining everything that fascinates him about jazz music – rich notes, melody, rhythm, abstraction, improvisation, individuality – to create posters that have won him numerous national and international design awards. Through this showcase, the organiser hopes to inspire more creative concepts and share with Macao's designers and public the creative and motivational power emanating from these outstanding poster designs. The exhibition will run from the 12th of October until the 11th of November, at the Tap Seac Gallery, from 10am to 7pm. Admission is free. To offer a deeper insight into the work of this world-famous graphic designer, the organiser will also arrange a thematic talk on Design and Living, hosted by Mr. Troxler himself and by the exhibition's curator, He Jianping, who will both introduce the exhibition while sharing their own creative experiences. The seminar, in Mandarin and English, takes place on the 12th of October, Saturday, from 2:30pm to 5pm, at the Lecture Theatre 1, 1F, Wui Chi Building, Macao Polytechnic Institute. Seats are limited and interested persons should call 8399 6699 before 11th of October for reservations.
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Postal Registered electronic Mail (PReM) provides a secure and trusted exchange of electronic messages, enabling the sending of electronic messages by an authenticated mailer for delivery to an authenticated addressee or addressees with proof of sending and proof of delivery. PReM uses secure electronic means and the proofs of sending and delivery are certified by Macao Post.
In accordance with the Dispatch of the Chief of Executive No.186/2013, PReM is equivalent to the physical registered mail with delivery advice. PReM attests the following:
1) The authenticity of the sender, addressee, and designated operators of origin and destination;
2) The sending, forwarding, delivery, non-delivery, rejection and expiry of the electronic message, and the corresponding dates and time;
3) Confidentiality of the electronic message;
4) Integrity of the electronic message.
In addition, this service was created in accordance with Article RL 256bis of the Letter Post Regulations of Universal Postal Union, and Postal Registered electronic Mail functional specification (S52) of the Universal Postal Union. The identities of the sender and addressee are rigorously authenticated . Furthermore, international recognized cryptographic standards and technologies are employed to generate non-reputable evidences and ensure the confidentiality and integrity of electronic messages.
For further information about this service, please visit our website http://seps.macaupost.gov.mo or contact us through our hotline 28720029 or email us through the email info@seps.macaupost.gov.mo .
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The 27th Macao International Music Festival (MIMF) enters its second week, bringing to the city choral music, two famous operas and a jazz concert this weekend. After the success of Verdi's Messa da Requiem, by the Latvian National Opera, the MIMF's choral music programme goes ahead with the concert Songs Along the Danube, by the veteran Vienna Boys Choir, to take place on October 10 (Thursday), at 8pm, at the Macao Tower Theatre. A joy of both musicianship and personalities, the world's preeminent children's choir has enchanted audiences across the globe with its purity of tone, distinctive charm and a diverse repertoire that encompasses Austrian folk songs and waltzes, classical masterpieces, cherished pop songs and Gregorian chant. In commemoration of the 200th anniversary of Verdi's birth, the MIMF presents Aida, an Opera in 4 Acts by Giuseppe Verdi, on October 11 and 12 (Friday and Saturday), at 7.30pm. at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. This Latvian National Opera production was designed by the outstanding Latvian artist Ilmārs Blumbergs to resemble a giant painting, the colours and shapes of which evoke the majesty of Ancient Egypt. A timeless story in which light and darkness, love and hate, triumph and defeat and hope and death all stand together, this is an opera not to be missed! The MIMF also brings to the Dom Pedro V Theatre stage, on October 13 and 14 (Sunday and Monday), at 3pm (only on 13/10) and at 8pm, one of Mozart's first operas, Bastien und Bastienne, written when the composer was only twelve years old. The Mozart Opera Institute reveals the musician's precocious talent, unraveling a story about love, betrayal, intrigue and eventually a happy ending. On October 12 (Saturday), at 8pm, Mount Fortress welcomes the first jazz concert of this year's edition of the Festival. Members of the group Iberian Jazz All Stars, after holding several jazz workshops in the territory during the summer, will now take to the stage together with some of their trainees, gathered under the name Macao Big Band, thus revealing the quality and talent of local musicians. Tickets for the 27th MIMF are still available, in limited numbers, at all Kong Seng Ticketing Network outlets. Telephone bookings may be made on 2855 5555. Admission is free for the Iberian Jazz Stars and Macao Big Band jazz concert.
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Consumer Council conducted its specific price surveys on seasonings, beverages, and dairy products on 4th October for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th June. Results of the mentioned surveys have been uploaded to the Council's website (www.consumer.gov.mo) and are available in the Council's 'Supermarket Price Information Platform' iPhone and Android apps. For inquiry, please call the Council's hotline: 8988 9315.
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In order to spread the traditional Chinese culture, enhance cultural exchange among postal workers, promote the development of postal corporate culture, and demonstrate the talent of postal workers through their photography, calligraphy and art masterpieces, the China Post Group, Macao Post, Hong Kong Post Office Recreation Club and Chunghwa Post Co., Ltd. have jointly organized the "Beautiful China – Cross-Strait Four-Regions Photography, Calligraphy and Arts Exhibition of Postal Workers". A total of 165 art pieces are selected, including 81 photographs, 52 calligraphy works and 32 art works. They will be exhibited in the Communications Museum from 7 to 13 October, and the exhibition will be toured to Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan afterwards.
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