The beliefs and customs of A-Ma, which are deeply rooted in the city’s maritime past, were inscribed on China’s national intangible cultural heritage list in 2014. The Chinese Opera Association of Terrestrial and Maritime Dwellers of Barra has also been officially designated by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as the guardian of these traditions in Macao. Each year, the association organises the A-Ma Festival: this cultural celebration takes place on the 23rd day of the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which fell on May 9 this year. The five-day festival features Chinese opera performances dedicated to various deities staged within a purpose-built bamboo theatre on the square outside the A-Ma Temple in Barra. A grand banquet is also held as a tribute to A-Ma, known as the Goddess of Seafarers.
