DSEDJ’s ‘Student and Youth Show in Celebration of Macao’s Return to the Motherland’ for double celebration carries forward the spirit of ‘loving the motherland and loving Macao’

MACAU, July 22 - The ‘Student and Youth Show in Celebration of Macao’s Return to the Motherland’ indoor performances were successfully held today (22 July) at Macau Forum. The event was co-organised by the Education and Youth Development Bureau, SJM Resorts Limited and Nam Kwong (Group) Company Limited, in collaboration with the Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Sports Bureau, the University of Macau, Macao Polytechnic University, the Education Forum for Asia in Beijing, the Chinese Educators Association of Macau, the Macau Higher Education Development Promotion Association, the Macau Catholic Schools Association, the Associação Educativa da Função Pública de Macau and the Committee of Macao Youth Associations for Organising Activities, and with the support of the Guangdong Youth Federation.

More than 700 youth students from schools across Macao and cities in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area demonstrated the results of their hard work in months of dance rehearsals to a live audience of over 1,600 people, as well as viewers watching the performances on TV and livestream. To honour the 75^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 25^th anniversary of the Macao’s return to the motherland, the young people and students delivered their performances in the best way possible, fully showing a sense of unity and jointly witnessing the developments of the motherland and Macao.

The event kicked off as members of the Macao school flag-raising team escorting the national flag and the regional flag came into view. Their solemn look and neat marching steps represented the blessings of young students in Macao for the 75^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Incorporating drama, singing and dancing, Peking opera, Cantonese opera, martial arts, audio-visual multimedia effects and other elements, the show consisted of four chapters: ‘Hope’, ‘Take-off’, ‘Innovation and Diversity’ and ‘Striving towards a New Era’, aimed at presenting to the audience the history shared by both the motherland and Macao, the development achievements attained by Macao after its return to the motherland, as well as the exciting prospects for the new generations to pursue their dreams in the Greater Bay Area, integrate themselves into national development and seize arising opportunities. At the end, all participating teachers and students sang together loud and clear to express the love for their home country and Macao, bringing the show to a perfect ending.

The event was attended by Ms Ao Ieong U, representative of the Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture; Ms Ho Ioc San, Director of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture; Mr Li Xuefei, Director of the Education and Youth Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Counsellor Gao Yuan, Director of the Department of Information and Public Diplomacy of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR; Senior Colonel Gao Haoliang, Director of the Political Work Department of the People’s Liberation Army Macao Garrison; Mr Li Chong, Deputy Mayor of the Zhuhai Municipal People’s Government; Bishop Stephen Lee Bun-sang of the Diocese of Macao; Mr Kong Chi Meng, Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau; Mr Cheng Daxin, Deputy Director of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province; Mr Daniel Shim Ming Yi, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of SJM Resorts, Limited; Mr Shi Yulin, Vice-President of Nam Kwong (Group) Company Limited; Macao SAR deputies to the National People’s Congress; Macao SAR members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; representatives from collaborators and supporting units; and representatives from the Education Committee, the Youth Affairs Committee, the Teaching Staff Professional Committee, as well as local higher and non-higher education institutions, among others.