Hundred New Young Lion Masters to Uphold Lion Dance Culture
In the past decade, MGM has been leveraging Macau as a window to promote lion dance and Chinese culture across borders, propelling the city's cultural tourism to a higher-quality development. This year marks a new milestone for MGM’s effort in popularizing Lingnan culture, as the Company celebrates the 10th anniversary of “MGM Junior Lion Dance Summer Class” and the 11th edition of “MGM Lion Dance Championship”. The Championship will continue to intertwine Lingnan lion dance culture and Macau’s world heritage site of A-Ma Temple, in a bid to further expand the intangible heritage’s appeal and telling good stories of China and Macau via this international sports event.
MGM holds the press conference of “The 11th International Lion Dance Championship 2024 – MGM Cup” (Championship) and the graduation ceremony of the 10th MGM Junior Lion Dance Summer Class 2024 (Class) at MGM COTAI today (August 31), announcing the Championship will be held from October 5 to 6 at Barra Square of A-ma Temple. The officiating guests of the event includes: Leong Wai Man, Director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC); Cheng Wai Tong, Acting Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO); Vong Ka Kun, Acting Head of Macau Grand Prix and Major Sporting Events Department of Sports Bureau (ID); Ka Si In, Head of Division of Primary and Early Childhood Education of Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ); Sit Kai Sin, Director of Maritime Museum of Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA); Chan Weng Kit, Chairman of Dragon & Lion Dance Federation of Asia and President of Wushu General Association of Macau (WGAM), and Hubert Wang, President & Chief Operating Officer of MGM China Holdings Limited.
Hubert Wang said, “In order to pass on the lion dance culture in Macau, MGM nurtures local lion dance athletes in a systematic manner, from summer class, annual training program, exchange trip in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to international competition, all with the aim to offer an ideal environment for the development of lion dance. We have been bringing new elements and upgrading the Championship continuously, and it has now been recognized as one of the top three southern lion dance competitions in the world. To date, MGM has been playing an active role in promoting the lion dance culture in the GBA and using Macau as an important link to bridge the cultural exchanges between East and West. In future, we will carry on expanding the Chinese culture through international sports and culture events.”
21 Excellent Lion Dance Troupes to Battle in front of A-ma Temple
“The 11th International Lion Dance Championship 2024 – MGM Cup” will have a strong lineup of 21 lion dance troupes with 210 athletes competing for four contests, namely “Freestyle Lion Dance Championship – Taolu Movements on Poles”, “Female Traditional Lion Dance Championship”, “Youth Traditional Lion Dance Championship” and “Junior Traditional Lion Dance Championship”. This year, the number of the competing troupes increases by nearly 20%, and the troupes come from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Japan, Italy and Myanmar. This highly entertaining sports competition is scheduled to take place at Barra Square of A-ma Temple during the National Day Golden Week, in tribute to the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of the Macao SAR.
Since last year, MGM brought this prominent international lion dance competition into the Barra District, to showcase the significance and the profound history of Lingnan lion dance culture, and at the same time injecting fresh vitality into the traditional culture that serves as a good example of the export of Chinese culture from Macau to the world. The Championship is jointly organized by MGM and Dragon & Lion Dance Federation of Asia, advised by Chinese Dragon & Lion Dance Sports Association, undertaken by WGAM, and supported by the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, ID, DSEDJ, IC, MGTO, Municipal Affairs Bureau, DSAMA and International Dragon and Lion Dance Federation.
A Decade of Cultivating 640 Young Lion Masters
Committed to the inheritance and popularization of lion dance, MGM has organized the Junior Lion Dance Summer Class for 10 consecutive years, enabling children to make good use of their leisure time and building up their physical fitness, team spirit and most importantly, cultural confidence. This year, MGM partnered with Mak Chi Leong Dragon & Lion Dance Association Macau to hold the summer class, with DSEDJ, IC, MGTO and WGAM as supporting units. The enrollment has tripled this year and MGM increases the number of participants to 100 for more children to learn lion dance. To date, MGM has already trained 640 young lion masters in the past 10 years.
Additionally, the graduates of the summer class can join the “MGM Lion Dance Training Program” to further elevate their skills of lion dance. This program has trained nearly 200 lion dance athletes in Macau so far, who actively participate in various competitions, community celebrations as well as school activities. MGM will host an exchange trip in Foshan for junior lion masters and teenager lion dance athletes this September, to help deepen their understanding of Lingnan lion dance in its cradleland.
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About MGM
MGM is an abbreviation for MGM China Holdings Limited (HKEx: 2282) and is a leading developer, owner and operator of gaming and lodging resorts in the Greater China region. We are the holding company of MGM Grand Paradise, SA which holds one of the six gaming concessions to run casino games in Macau. MGM Grand Paradise, SA owns and operates MGM MACAU, the award-winning premium integrated resort located on the Macau Peninsula and MGM COTAI, a contemporary luxury integrated resort in Cotai, which opened in early 2018 and more than doubles our presence in Macau.
MGM MACAU is a Forbes Five-Star luxury integrated resort inspired by the arts with every element of the resort infused with creativity and style. MGM MACAU has approximately 600 guest rooms and suites and boasts a number of distinguishing features, including the architecturally stunning European-inspired Grande Praça, housed under a soaring glass ceiling. MGM MACAU’s world class facilities include the MGM Art Space, dedicating over 5,000 square feet to display authentic works of art, conference and event facilities, spa, and seven signature restaurants and bars to fulfill any gastronomic craving. Our property is conveniently located on the Macau Peninsula and is directly connected to the luxury retail shopping complex, One Central.
MGM COTAI is the latest integrated resort of MGM in China. Designed as the “jewelry box” of Cotai, it offers approximately 1,400 hotel rooms and suites, Asia’s first dynamic theater, meeting space, high end spa, retail offerings and food and beverage outlets as well as the first international Mansion at MGM for the ultimate luxury experience. The Spectacle at MGM COTAI becomes the record holder of the largest free-span gridshell glazed roof (self-supporting) on January 19, 2019, making it the first architectural and structural GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Macau, China. MGM COTAI is being developed to drive greater product diversification and bring more advanced and innovative forms of entertainment to Macau as it grows as a global tourist destination. MGM COTAI is the only mega complex and hotel in Macau to gain three-star certification in both Green Building Design and Operation Label, as well as the first hotel in the Greater Bay Area and second in Greater China to receive the certifications.
MGM China is majority owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and Park MGM. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Jessie Kuan
Executive Director of Public Relations
MGM
Tel: (853) 8806 3412
Email: jessiekuan@mgm.mo
Karen Lam
Senior Corporate Relations Manager
MGM
Tel: (853) 8806 3421
Email: karenlam@mgm.mo
