Macau (MNA) – The city will further focus on developing creative and cultural industries to foster cross-sector collaboration between gastronomy and other elements such as film and design, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam Chon Weng, stated when delivering his opening speech for the International Gastronomy Forum 2018 on Thursday.
As the second edition this year, the Forum is one of the activities of the ‘2018 Macau Year of Gastronomy’ launched on Wednesday.
Attracting some 300 people, Getachew Engida, Deputy Director-General of UNESCO said the Forum aims to provide a platform for Macau and other members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) “to share experiences and best practices, creating new opportunities for partnerships and joint initiatives in the field of gastronomy”.
Meanwhile, talking to the press after the opening ceremony of the Forum, Li Kai, a senior chef trainer specialising in Chinese cooking in Sichuan Tourism University, said Macau could reference Chengdu by listing chefs who specialise in certain significant dishes as intangible cultural heritage.
Mr. Li said chefs who have their skills designated as intangible cultural heritage would be given an amount that allows these chefs to further enhance their skills and continue studying.
The Secretary claimed that the Macau SAR Government would consider disbursing funds to promote significant local brands.
