Macau, China, Oct. 3, 2025 (Lusa) - Macau Week was inaugurated on Friday at the China pavilion at Expo 2025, where the semi-autonomous Chinese region brought folk dancing and Portuguese tiles to Osaka.
In a statement, the Macau Cultural Institute (ICM) revealed that the inauguration featured a performance by the Portuguese Dance and Song Association “Macau no Coração”.
The ICM said the event will also include ‘rich interactive experiences,’ such as Portuguese tile painting.
Although it opened today, Macau Week officially kicked off on Thursday and will run for only three full days, ending on Saturday.
The aim, the statement said, is to showcase Macao as a ‘city of diverse cultures’.
During the opening ceremony, ICM chief executive Leong Wai Man said in a speech that Macao can "demonstrate the advantages of the convergence of Chinese and Western cultures".
In December, the ICM launched a 30-day public consultation on the possible inclusion of 12 events, including Portuguese folk dance, on the territory's intangible cultural heritage list.
Residents attending a public consultation session on 7 January "generally agreed with the choice of expressions recommended for inscription" on the list, the ICM said later.
On 28 August, Leong Wai Man, also chairman of the Cultural Heritage Council, told Lusa that the body had discussed the final report of the public consultation at a meeting before the Government made a final decision.
Expo 2025 in Osaka, which opened on 13 April, ends on 13 October.
The ICM stressed that this is Macau's first participation in a World Expo abroad since the transition of administration of the region from Portugal to China in 1999.
Macau had a pavilion at Expo98 in Lisbon, as well as a space at Expo2010 in the Chinese financial capital, Shanghai.
The inauguration of Macau Week was attended by representatives from 12 pavilions, including Brazil and the Commissioner General of the Portuguese Pavilion, Joana Gomes Cardoso.
The Portuguese pavilion, designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, has already welcomed around two million visitors. More than 460 entities are involved in the space, which has already hosted around 360 events.
On 23 September, the Portuguese pavilion, whose theme is “Ocean, Blue Dialogue”, was honoured at the international World Expolympics competition, winning gold in the Best Thematic Concept category.
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