Macao Chief Executive Ho Iat-seng (center) and other guests officiate at the opening ceremony of "Celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR – Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Dragon 2024" in Macao on Feb 12, 2024. (PHOTO  / MACAO SAR GOVERNMENT)

MACAO - Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Ho Iat-seng opened the celebrations marking the Chinese New Year and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao SAR on Monday, the third day of Chinese New Year.   

Fireworks in celebration of the Spring Festival illuminate the sky in Macao, south China, Feb 12, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

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“Celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao SAR – Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Dragon 2024” at Macao's Sai Van Lake Square was followed by a Chinese New Year fireworks display.  

This year, the parade, together with the 2024 Chinese New Year activities and Chinese New Year fireworks displays, have been listed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as part of the “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations, set to manifest the breadth of destination appeal in “tourism + events”

Adhering to the “1 + 4” development strategy for adequate diversification, the SAR Government will strive to foster and optimize the integrated tourism and leisure industry development in partnership with the travel trade, forging ahead to deepen integration across “tourism +” and enrich the city’s offerings as a world center of tourism and leisure, said Secretary for Economy and Finance Lei Wai-nong. 

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Ho and his wife attended the opening ceremony and enjoyed the parade. Also present were Lei; Chief of Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance Ku Mei-leng; Director of Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; President of Administration Committee on Municipal Affairs of Municipal Affairs Bureau José Tavares; President of Cultural Affairs Bureau Leong Wai-man; President of Sports Bureau Pun Weng-kun; Acting President of the Board of Directors of Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute Agostinho Vong; Director of Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin Li Ziwei, and Assistant to the Director of Asia Tourism Exchange Center Cheng Ruishan who officiated the opening ceremony together with other guests.

Actors perform during Celebrations of the 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Parade for Celebration of the Year of the Dragon in south China's Macao on Feb 12, 2024. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

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Guided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the celebrations are organized by MGTO and co-organized by Asia Tourism Exchange Center, Municipal Affairs Bureau, Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Sports Bureau as well as Economic Development Bureau of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

This year, the parade, together with the 2024 Chinese New Year activities and Chinese New Year fireworks displays, have been listed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as part of the “Happy Chinese New Year” celebrations, set to manifest the breadth of destination appeal in “tourism + events”.

Many local and visiting spectators enjoyed the extravaganza.