[Macau Daily News] The opening ceremony of the 19th Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival and the Mazu Ceremony for the Year of the Horse was held today at 10 AM at the Macau Mazu Cultural Village in Coloane, officiated by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng and others, showcasing a grand scene.
Among the officiating guests were He Huawen, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Zheng Xinciong, Director of the Liaison Office, Cheng Lei, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jiang Erxiong, Vice Governor of Fujian Province, and Ke Lan, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture. He Huawen announced the official opening of the 19th Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival.
Chairman of the organizing committee, Chen Mingjin, stated that traversing through a thousand years, Mazu culture remains vibrant and possesses significant contemporary value. Today’s principles of “virtue, kindness, and great love” have long transcended the traditional connotations of blessings and protection. Inheriting Mazu culture means not only preserving folk rituals but also pursuing values of goodness, an open and inclusive mindset, and a shared sense of responsibility—this is the vitality bestowed upon Mazu culture by the new era.
Fujian is the birthplace of Mazu culture, while Macau serves as an important window for Mazu culture to reach the world; Fujian has a strong industrial foundation, rich cultural and tourism resources, and a vast domestic market, while Macau has the advantage of connecting Portuguese-speaking countries, linking global markets, and gathering international resources. The two regions complement each other’s strengths and empower each other, possessing a natural cooperative gene of “cultural bridging and economic collaboration.” This year’s tourism festival is the first to incorporate the Fujian-Macau cooperation mechanism, aiming to transform this profound cultural heritage into practical cooperation momentum, allowing the Macau platform to better serve the dual-directional investment promotion, dual-directional recommendations, and dual-directional empowerment between Fujian and Macau, achieving mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.
Lin Bingkun, Chairman of the Taiwan No Party Alliance, expressed that both sides of the Taiwan Strait share the same roots, culture, and blood ties. For a long time, Mazu culture has maintained a deep friendship among compatriots on both sides of the Strait. Every Mazu grand event is a dialogue between hearts and an exchange of emotions, effectively bringing closer the feelings of compatriots on both sides and advancing peaceful development across the Strait. He hopes to use Mazu culture as a bond to deepen civil exchanges, cultural tourism connections, and interactions among compatriots, fostering unity through culture and friendship, allowing people on both sides to share the beauty of culture, build a wish for peace, and promote the future of the nation together.
During the event, there will be lion dances, artistic performances, and dance entertainment.
This article is reprinted from [Macau Daily News], translated into over 20 languages globally, covering more than 50 countries and regions, showcasing the global influence of Mazu culture. Editor: Lin Bingbin, Luo Fujin reporting from New York, and reprinted by international news media The World Headlines. If reprinted, please indicate the source and retain the author’s information. Thank you for your attention and support.
