For all the heartening news of vaccine drives rolling out across the region, the pandemic appears to not be over with quite yet in Asia. Despite that, here in Macao all sights are still set towards the Greater Bay Area, eagerly eyeing up future relationships with mainland China that will bring much-needed development to our territory.
In April, for example, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng travelled to Hainan to attend the Boao Forum, meeting with provincial authorities and other top leaders. They discussed their shared interest in the tourism sector, exploring how to expand new frontiers of development between Macao and the tropical island – a popular destination that has seen record numbers of domestic tourists arrive this year as a result of international travel restrictions.
After Hainan, the Chief Executive travelled to Guangzhou to meet with senior Chinese leaders and discuss the Greater Bay Area. In line with guidelines laid out by Beijing and enjoying the full support of the central government, it seems all but guaranteed that Macao is slated to become an essential economic and tourism hub between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
With high-level communications about the city’s economic prospects taking place from afar, here on home soil the local government is also wasting no time. The inauguration of the newly renovated Macao Grand Prix Museum, which features high-tech upgrades including virtual-reality racing stations and simulators was recently announced. Meanwhile, projects like the Kun Iam Statue Waterfront Park Leisure Area, which boasts sprawling facilities for Macao’s families and wellness-seekers, was opened to the public, not to mention the reforestation of Coloane Island and plans for the future central library of Macao, to be located in the Praça do Tap Siac.
In our May issue, Macao Magazine is also looking ahead, featuring some of the city’s up-and-coming young designers working in entertainment, technology and architecture, all destined for greatness in the future.
And for something a bit different, we explore the recent resurgence of jazz culture in Macao, bolstered by an unlikely community of passionate groups and individual aficionados. Be sure not to miss the incredible photo gallery taken by our journalist, who travelled to the ancient capital of Xi’an to stand face-to-face with one of China’s most important archaeological discoveries, the inscrutable Terracotta Warriors.
*Photo by Denzel Calangi
