A delegation from Macao has participated in the 5th Global Mazu Culture Forum and the 22nd China·Putian Meizhou Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival on Meizhou Island in Putian, Fujian Province.
The Macao group was led by Chief of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ho Ioc San. The delegation included: Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Director, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; Advisor of Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Stella Leong; MGTO Head of Destination Marketing Department, Betty Fok; and Head of the Division for Research and Planning of the Department of Cultural Heritage of Macao SAR Government Cultural Affairs Bureau, Sou Kin Meng.
This year’s edition of the Mazu Culture Forum took place in November and was themed “Mazu culture and community with a shared future for mankind”. The forum was jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, Ministry of Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, Macao SAR Government and Fujian Provincial People’s Government.
In a speech at the event, Ho Ioc San said that, since 2017, when the Macao SAR Government started being one of the organisers of the forum, there had been a significant increase in the cultural exchanges between Fujian and Macao. She stated that Mazu culture is a shared identity for Chinese populations around the world, connecting Mainland Chinese with overseas Chinese and residents in the Taiwan region, Hong Kong and Macao.
This edition of the forum featured online and offline activities in a departure from previous events. This year’s programme included a number of supporting events, namely the 6th International Seminar on Mazu Culture, 2020 Mazu Culture and Tourism International Communication Forum, and Putian’s Presentation of Projects Open to Investment and Contract Signing.