News

Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) and Macau Economic Services attended the 44th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Working Group (TWG) Meeting in Peru to exchange information and development plans about tourism. The Office also took the opportunity to brief APEC's member economies on Macau's preparation for APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting 2014 as a host city The 44th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting was held in Cusco, Peru from 8 – 11 April. Deputy Director General of Marketing & International Cooperation Department of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), Zhang Xinhong led a delegation to the meeting. MGTO Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes and the representative of Macau Economic Services Chong Veng Kuy joined the meeting as well along with other delegates. The second-day agenda of the 44th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting included presentations of preparation work for the upcoming APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Macau. Deputy Director General Zhang from CNTA and MGTO Director Senna Fernandes briefed TWG members on substantive and logistical preparation for APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting 2014 respectively during a special session in the TWG Meeting. MGTO also seized the occasion to observe and learn from the TWG Meeting in order to prepare well for the upcoming APEC meeting's logistic arrangement and assist the Macau SAR Government in facilitating this important meeting. The two-day agenda of the 44th APEC Tourism Working Group Meeting included the opening session, special session, lessons-learned sessions, discussion on TWG projects, information sharing, closing session and site inspections. Founded in 1991, APEC's Tourism Working Group (TWG) not only gathers tourism administrators to share information and exchange perspectives but also serves as a platform to enhance development and cooperation on tourism trade around the world. The Macau SAR Government has been a guest economy in TWG since 2001. 2014 marks the 25th anniversary since the establishment of APEC and China once again hosts the APEC meeting this year. The Central Government has given approval for the Macau SAR Government to undertake the hosting of APEC Tourism Ministerial Meeting 2014.
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Consumer Council conducted its third 'Supermarket price survey' for April on 11 April for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12th June. Surveyed locations included 8 supermarkets in Toi San, Ilha Verde and Fai Chi Kei areas 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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Due to high demand, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government (IC) offers more additional 25th Macao Arts Festival's (MAF) performances for the most sought after shows, namely, Beauty Fades from the Twelve Ladies' Bower, and Eighteen Springs. Tickets for these additional performances will be available from 10am on Saturday 12 April at the Kong Seng Ticketing Network outlets (except at the Av. de Horta e Costa outlet, where tickets will be available from 10.30 am), through the reservation website or the reservation hotline 2855 5555.
An additional performance of Beauty Fades from the Twelve Ladies' Bower, by the Collective of Macao Cantonese Opera Artists, will take to the Alegria Cinema's stage on 23 May, at 7:30pm. Hong Kong's Zuni Icosahedron theatre company will offer an extra performance of the play Eighteen Springs on 30 May, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, besides the performances scheduled for 31 May and 1 June. Tickets are still available for the play in patuá Vivo na Únde? (Dream Home?) by the Dóci Papiaçám di Macau drama group, to be staged on 10 and 11 May at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium, at 7:30pm. Theatre in Patuá was inscribed on the List of Macao S.A.R. Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012, and the dialect has been identified as a critically endangered language by UNESCO. This year's play has the following story line: "How can you be a talent if you can't afford a place to live?"
Dance Dome is an innovative and intimate 360° immersive cinema developed to surround its audiences in cutting edge contemporary dance in several sessions from 19 to 25 May (Friendship Square) and from 28 May to 1 June (Pak Tai Temple Square). Created by an international film crew and featuring choreography by award-winning companies Taikabox, Harnisch-Lacey Dance Theatre and Earthfall, the Dance Dome blurs the boundaries between movement, digital technology and cinema, wrapping dance around the viewer to create an extraordinary immersive experience. The trilogy includes Pal O' Me Heart, a fulldome adaptation of Earthfall's most critically acclaimed production, accompanied by The Beautiful, featuring contemporary dance and Chinese pole and the 2012 Innovation Prize Winner at Domefest USA, The Sublime, which explores breakdance and parkour styles.
Led by Macao Orchestra's Principal Conductor Lü Jia, fabulous pipa master Zhang Hongyan and flautist Tang Junqiao cooperate with the Orchestra in Zhou Long's, Guo Wenjing's and Bright Sheng's masterworks in this East meets West concert representing characteristics of Macao: tolerance, harmony and cultural integration, to be held on 13 May, at 8pm, at the Macao Cultural Centre Grand Auditorium. Don't miss this exceptional concert.
The Festival offers discounts of up to 30% when buying tickets for at least 4 different performances or when buying 10 or more tickets for the same performance. A 20% discount is also available on tickets to any show upon presentation of a Bank of China (Macau), Banco Weng Hang (Macau), LTD., Tai Fung Bank, ICBC (Macau), BCM Bank, Luso International Banking LTD. or BNU Credit Card or a Bank of China Tri-Currency Debit Card.
For more information on the 25th MAF, please call 8399 6699 during office hours, or check the MAF booklet or website at www.icm.gov.mo/fam.
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Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) organizes the "Experience Macau" Art Exhibition in Hong Kong starting from today (April 8).The tradition and modernity of Macau are presented though the masterpieces of local artists to promote the cultural and creative industry of the city. MGTO hosted the "Experience Macau" opening cocktail reception today at the Hong Kong Fringe Club. Head of Destination Marketing Department of MGTO, Betty Fok and General Manager of MGTO representative in Hong Kong, Stanley Mok officiated the event. The art exhibition gathers renowned local artists' masterpieces and the award-winning paintings of Hong Kong secondary school students to promote the "Historical Centre of Macau" and the creative industry as well as to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of Macau SAR Establishment. The exhibition is divided into 4 zones namely "Glorious Macau 15 Years", "Creative and Art Graffiti", "Vibrant Colors of Macau" and "Paint a Piece of World Heritage". "Glorious Macau 15 Years" displays fifteen precious pictures which show the stunning infrastructure development and fascinating array of events and festivals since 1999. The exhibits vividly showcase the transformation of Macau since its return to China. "Creative and Art Graffiti" shows the flourishing art scene in Macau through a series of art pieces by a group of local artists of Macau Creations. The exhibits are printed using the Hahnemühle technique with a high simulation rate and can be kept for over a hundred years which are limited edition and extremely valuable. "Vibrant Colors of Macau" features photographs of Macau cityscapes taken by a Macanese photographer, António Leong. António began to get more serious in photography since 2010, when he started to stroll along local alleys and streets to capture the beauty of Macau. The unique mix of eastern and western culture of the city was recorded through the lens. In addition, MGTO organized Macau World Heritage Drawing Competition in 2013 for Hong Kong secondary school students to show their artistic talent while putting the spotlight on Macau World Heritage. Outstanding artworks from the competition are exhibited in "Paint a Piece of World Heritage" through which audience can have a better understanding about the "Historical Centre of Macau". "Experience Macau" Art Exhibition is held from April 8 – 14 at the Hong Kong Fringe Club for free admission. By showcasing the rich cultural resources and modern arts, MGTO hopes to promote Macau's unique flavor and charm of the Chinese and Western cultures, thereby promoting the city's cultural and creative industry as well as its diversified tourism products while taking the opportunity to celebrate the 15th Anniversary of Macau SAR Establishment. Over 80 travel trade partners and journalists attended the opening cocktail reception. Student winners of Macau World Heritage Drawing Competition also came to share their feelings and introduce their artworks.
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The latest issue of the Review of Culture – International Edition, published quarterly by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, is already out. Literature is the main theme of this issue, with particular reference to Mo Yan, the 2012 Literature Nobel Prize winner. The Chinese author pens a short story titled "Upside Down" and is also the focus of two other articles: one on his literary journey, by journalist and poet Qiu Huadong, and another on his most controversial work Big Breasts and Wide Hips, a series of reflections and reading notes by author Fernanda Dias. In the same issue, Maria Ondina Braga and Henrique de Senna Fernandes are revisited by Filomena Iooss and Fernando Margarido João, the former with a study on Nocturno em Macau and the latter with an analysis on the multiculturalism dimension of the work Os Dores. Rui Rocha and Jorge Barbosa's poetry also deserve literary criticism by Victor Oliveira Mateus and Clara Sarmento, respectively. The concept of "lusophone writer" is analysed in depth by Ana Paula Dias, based on the opinions of Angolan writer Eduardo Agualusa and Timorese novelist Luís Cardoso, on the occasion of the 2013 Script Road Literary Festival. The matter of translatability of Chinese classical poetry, by researcher Júlio Reis Jatobá, brings the issue to a close. The Review of Culture is available for purchase at the Livraria Portuguesa, Plaza Cultural, Seng Kwong Bookstore, Macao Historical Archives, Public Information Centre and Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre. It is also available for consultation at the Central Library, the Macao Historical Archives and libraries of Macau S.A.R. universities.
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Consumer Council launches an updated version of its 'Supermarket Price Platform' iPhone app. The app consists of 6 independent functions and provides consumers with over 32,000 price data collected each month. The 'Rankings for Supermarkets with Lowest Prices' function enables consumers to check easily which supermarkets are selling the most number of lowest price products. Starting from Q4 of 2013, the Council increased the number of surveyed supermarkets from 15 to 95, and the number of surveyed items from around 4,000 each month to over 32,000. The website version of the 'Platform' has been renewed with newly-added functions. The 'Rankings for Supermarkets with Lowest Prices' function enables consumers to check easily which supermarkets are selling the most number of lowest price products, and to compare price levels of all the surveyed supermarkets in the 9 parishes in Macao. The Council indicates that it has become quite common for consumers to make price comparisons with their smart phone apps while patronizing supermarkets. Since its launch in late 2011, the iPhone 'Platform' app has recorded a browsing record of almost 2.5 million hits and a downloading record of over 43,000 times. For the Android version, it has been downloaded over 32,000 times since its launch in 2012 and has a browsing record of over 2.6 million hits, with an average usage time of almost 10 minutes. After renewing its website version of the 'Platform', the Council now launches an updated version of its iPhone 'Platform' app. The 'Platform' app has been updated with new and flexible functions for the convenience of consumers. There are 6 independent functions, including 'Rankings for Supermarkets with Lowest Prices', which is also available on the website version. Consumers can check the list of supermarkets with the highest and lowest price items. Further, the new app is equipped with online complaint service. The 'Supermarket Price Platform' is available in Chinese, English, and Portuguese and the updated version for Android will be available at the next stage. The Council has generated a 'QR code' for its 'Platform' app, consumers are welcome to download the app and to provide comments and suggestions. Further, all mobile phone users in Macao can also get access to the 'Supermarket price survey' information through the WAP channels provided by their mobile phone service providers. The Council indicates that any movement on the list of supermarkets on 'Rankings for Supermarkets with Lowest Prices' will be shown, and supermarkets are found to have make price adjustments after the lists were made public. The Council also states that its supermarket price survey work will be updated and amended from time to time according to changes of the market. For enquiry, please call 89889315.
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The Government Information Bureau (GCS) today launched a free mobile app — "MSAR News" — that enables mobile-users to read official news and information on their portable devices in real time. As more and more people use mobile phones and other mobile devices to access information, the MSAR News app provides real-time government news and photos, and local weather reports. This app has rich contents which includes five main sections: "News", "Gallery", "News Features", "Hot News", and "Hot News Photos". Under the "News" section, 13 categories are available for users to subscribe to. The app is available in four language versions -- Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese and English. Users may set their desirable launguage in the setting. The built-in bookmarking and sharing functions of Macao government news enable users to quickly and conveniently share information from the app via email, Weibo, WeChat, Facebook or Twitter. In addition, Macao Government News has a push notification feature, giving users instant access to important news released by the Macao SAR Government. This new app is available for both iOS (Version 5.1 or above) and Android (Version 4.0 or above) systems. Users may search and download the app for free with keyword "MSAR News" in App Store and Google Play.
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"Museums Collections Make Connections" is the theme of the International Museum Day 2014, given by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). Communications Museums will organize the "Seminars of International Museum Day 2014" on May 2 and 3 at the auditorium of the museum as the prelude to celebrate the International Museum Day of the year. In addition to the first seminar for museum professionals, the second seminar will be free of charge for the general public, educators and secondary students. Registration will be accepted from now till April 12 through online registration on Communications Museum website (http://macao.communications.museum) and Museums of Macao website (www.museums.gov.mo). Museum professionals and scholars from Hong Kong and Taiwan are invited to share their views on hot topics of museums with the audience. In the first seminar for museum professionals on May 2, Ms. SIT Karen, Chief Curator of Hong Kong Science Museum and Ms. PANG Maggie, Chief Manager of File & Cultural Exchange, LSCD, Hong Kong will talk about "Old Topic, New Experience" and "Find a Way out of Conventional Marketing Approaches" respectively. For the open seminar held in the afternoon of May 3, Prof. CHOU Kung-shin, Ph.D., Chair Professor, Graduate Institute of Museum Studies of Fu Jen Catholic University will talk about "Museum and Education" and, Mr. CHAN Shing Wai, Head of Conservation Office, LCSD, Hong Kong, will talk about "Museum & Conservation – The Behind-the-Scene Vision".
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Consumer Council conducted its second 'Supermarket price survey' for April on 3 April for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 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 Material Transporter, which was designed by University of Macau (UM) students, won The Most Innovative Design Award at the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Greater China Region Design Competition 2014, showing that UM is now ranked alongside first-rate Asian universities in the field of electromechanical design. The eight award-winning students, Mr. Lam Wai Lon, Mr. Mak Hou Chun, Ms. Ieong Lai Si, Mr. Ku Chi Hou, Mr. Sun Kuok Chon, Mr. Wu Wai Kit, Mr. Fong Iat Seng, and Mr. Lam Soi Long, are from the Department of Electromechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology. Their supervisor is Dr. Alfred Wong. Organised by IMechE, the competition attracted students from many well-known universities in the Greater China region, including The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, the City University of Hong Kong, the South China University of Technology, and Guangzhou College South China University of Technology. UM students said that when designing the Material Transporter, they had to ensure efficiency in ladder-climbing as well as simplicity and practicality in mechanical design, which was quite challenging. They thanked their faculty and their supervisor Dr. Wong for the great support. Because of UM's excellent results at the competition, IMechE plans to hold next year's competition on UM's new campus.
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