Festival time in Macau

COLOURFUL PARADE CELEBRATES MACAO'S LATIN LINKS

IN celebrating its 10th anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage site, historic Macao will soon transform many of its streets into rivers of colour for the popular "Parade through Macao, Latin City" festivities.

To be held on Sunday, December 6, this annual event will also coincide with the 16th anniversary of Macao's handover to China with a focus on "Peace, Love and Cultural Integration".

It will follow in the footsteps of the annual and internationally supported Macao Marathon which will take place earlier on the same day.

The giant parade, which will weave from the steps of the Ruins of St Paul's to Tap Seac Square of this former Portuguese enclave, is one of the major events in the celebration of Macao's handover to China in 1999.

Attracting entries from abroad as well as in Macao, the street procession has become one of the city's trademark events since its inauguration a mere four years ago in 2011.

The 2015 parade will be dedicated to a treasure hunt storyline, participants following clues provided on a map. New colourful decorations and large mystical characters will be featured throughout the route.

The parade's opening ceremony, to take place at 4pm at Largo da Companhia de Jesus, and will be highlighted by performances from talented groups from Latin-speaking countries as well as other countries.

The route will be the same as that used in 2014, culminating with a carnival atmosphere at Tap Seac Square around 5.30pm to celebrate the handover. This year, two ascending seating areas will be set up at the square for the public to better view the performances.

During the parade - at Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro and Rua de Sanches de Miranda - face painting workshops will be set up for additional family fun.

Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau with the assistance of such bodies as the Macao Government Tourist Office, the parade will further feature a series of related activities, including a photography contest and social media games with prizes.

Details: Macao Government Tourist Office, phone (02) 9264 1488 or www.macautourism.gov.mo