The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) announced today (Tuesday) that it has included 55 traditions in the “inventory of intangible cultural heritage” of the city, including manifestations of the Portuguese legacy.
Among the choices of the institute of the old territory administered by Portugal are the Portuguese Folk Dance, Arraial de São João (Feast of Saint John), Procession of Saint Anthony, or the manufacture and painting of Portuguese tiles.
This decision, stressed the IC in a statement, aims to “strengthen the safeguarding of Macau’s intangible cultural heritage and to identify the manifestations of this heritage that require conservation”.
The IC further detailed that the new cultural events include “artistic expressions and performances of a performative character; social and religious practices, rituals and festive events; and skills within traditional artisanal practices and techniques ”.
‘All the mentioned events comply with the inventory requirements under the terms of the Cultural Heritage Protection Law in terms of their forms of expression, state of conservation and cultural value, with the IC included them in the inventory of intangible cultural heritage after consulting the Council for Cultural Heritage”, the department justified.
The city now has 70 events on the list of intangible cultural heritage.
