HAINAN INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE SHOWCASE TO BE HELD IN MACAU FROM 30 JUNE TO 8 OCTOBER

The “Genesis and Spirit – Showcase of Hainan Intangible Cultural Heritage” will be held in Macau from 30 June to 8 October, in celebration of the 2023 China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day (10 June), with the aim to promote exchanges and cooperation between Macau and mainland China in the field of intangible cultural heritage, as well as enable local residents to better “experience the rich cultural essence of China”, according to Macau’s Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC).

Presented by the nation’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the SAR’s Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture, the event is jointly organised by IC and Hainan Province’s Department for Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, as well as co-organised by Hainan Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Centre and supported by Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG).

The event’s opening ceremony will be held at Mount Fortress Garden at 6:30 pm on 30 June, followed by a series of performances with Hainan characteristics from 7 pm to 8 pm at the same place – including traditional music, dance, theatre, opera and a special fashion show of the Li ethnic group, themed “When Fabric Meets Light: The Brocade Show”.

Hainan is China’s smallest and southernmost province made up of over 200 islands in the South China Sea, including Hainan Island, which makes up about 97 per cent of the entire province. It has 82 representative items of intangible cultural heritage at provincial level, of which 32 are also on the national list of intangible cultural heritage.

Meanwhile, as part of the event, the Macao Museum on the Mount Fortress will host the “Genesis and Spirit – Exhibition of Hainan Intangible Cultural Heritage”, which will showcase various Hainan intangible cultural heritage items, including Hainan coconut carving and the traditional Li textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering.

In addition, the “Genesis and Spirit – Performances of Hainan Intangible Cultural Heritage” will be held at Broadway Food Street and Iao Hon Market Park on 1 July, featuring Li ethnic group’s fashion show, Hainan opera, music and dance by ethnic minority groups and puppet theatres.

Furthermore, experiential activities of incense-making and tea-tasting will be held at Lou Kau Mansion from 1-7 July, while workshops on Hainan coconut carving, Li ethnic group’s pottery-making and bamboo-weaving techniques, as well as Miao ethnic group’s embroidering and wax dying techniques will be held at Mandarin’s House on from 1-2 July.

The first edition of the “Genesis and Spirit – Showcase of Hainan Intangible Cultural Heritage” was held in 2011. For more information on the upcoming event visit the “China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” page on IC’s website or contact 2835 7911.