Dances with dragons
The Festival – or Feast – of the Drunken Dragon is a distinctive folk tradition rooted in Macao’s fishmonger community and listed on China’s National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Items. Held annually on the eighth day of the fourth month of the Chinese lunar calendar (this year falling on May 24), the festival is a vibrant celebration of local culture. The highlight is the Drunken Dragon parade, in which men perform an extraordinary ritual: they dance while simultaneously spraying rice wine from their mouths and carrying wooden dragon effigies carved from head to tail.
May 24 | Multiple locations, including Kuan Tai Temple, Senado Square and Red Market | Free admission
Time-honoured procession of faith
On May 13 each year, Macao observes the Procession of Our Lady of Fátima, a Catholic ritual commemorating the apparitions of the Virgin Mary reported in Fátima, Portugal in 1917. The city held its first procession 12 years later, in 1929, and the event has since become a deeply rooted annual tradition, now recognised on Macao’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The procession features two young girls and a boy dressed in traditional Portuguese costume, representing the three shepherd children who claimed to have witnessed the Virgin Mary’s appearances in Fátima.
May 13 | 5pm | St. Dominic’s Church to the Chapel of Our Lady of Penha | Free admission
Wildlife wonderland
Seac Pai Van Park in Coloane has recently opened three new outdoor wildlife attractions. The Pavilion of Amphibians and Reptiles, spread over 1,080 square metres, houses more than 40 animals from 26 species, including indigenous creatures as well as animals rescued or confiscated from illegal trade. Nearby, a newly constructed Aviary provides a spacious home for a variety of birds beneath its steel dome. Visitors can observe the birds from multiple vantage points, with platforms positioned at different heights around the enclosure. Completing the trio is the 640-square-metre Butterfly-Friendly Garden, planted to create a haven where colourful butterflies can feed, breed, and thrive.
Open daily | 6am to 10pm | Free admission
Next stop: the world
Since its debut in 2013, the Macao International Travel Expo (MITE) has grown into one of the city’s top annual tourism-related events, offering locals and visitors a window into the world of travel. The event showcases an array of destinations and products, inspiring new travel ideas for holidays at home and abroad. Beyond its appeal to the public, MITE serves as a professional platform for local, national and international exhibitors, buyers and industry partners. Business-matching sessions, thematic seminars and promotional activities enable participants to share information and forge new deals.
April 10, 11am-7pm; April 11, 10am-7pm; April 12, 10am-6pm | Cotai Expo at The Venetian Macao | Free admission | Further details at www.mitexpo.mo
Click to explore
The Cultural Affairs Bureau has launched online virtual tours at four additional sites within the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Macao. The new virtual tours available for exploration include: the Protestant Cemetery, the Headquarters Building of the Orient Foundation (“Casa Garden”), the Headquarters Building of the Marine and Water Bureau (formerly the Moorish Barracks), and the Guia Lighthouse interior. The virtual tours offer 360-degree panoramic views of each site and its surrounding environment. Visitors can also enhance their experience by using their own VR headsets.
Free access | Available in Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese and English | Website: vr.icm.gov.mo
Explosive heritage
“A Century of Iec Long Firecracker Factory in Radiance – An Exhibition on the Resonant History and Aesthetic Memory of Macao Firecrackers” brings together over 400 artefacts ranging from original manuscripts and firecracker-making tools to vintage packaging labels. The display traces a century of the city’s firecracker industry, a sector that thrived throughout the 20th century, providing visitors with rich insight into its cultural and historical significance. Organised into six thematic chapters, the exhibition captures both the aesthetic appeal of the craft and a behind-the-scenes look into firecracker production.
Now through August 31 | 11am to 7pm | Sands Gallery – The Grand Suites at Four Seasons Hotel Macao | Free admission
