A special event celebrating the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival was held Sunday in Ras Al Khaimah, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), drawing in scores of Chinese and local residents.
The event, titled "A Moon Moment to Remember," was organized by the Chinese Cultural Center and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, featuring acrobatic and cultural performances by Chinese artists.
"I feel extremely happy and can feel the enthusiasm from the audience, which makes me feel like a little bird dancing in the air," said Wan Caihong, a performing artist.
The event not only stirred nostalgia among Chinese visitors, but also brought Chinese culture to local residents.
"We are bringing our Chinese autumn cultural affairs to be here to enjoy the beautiful moment together. We are doing a lot of work to promote inbound China tourism with the cooperation of local friends and colleagues so that we hope a lot of UAE residents will come to China, will visit China, will learn more about and experience our culture in China," said Liu Yang, director of China Cultural Center.
The show was preceded by an exhibition of China's traditional festival customs, where attendees could explore Chinese knot tying and to sample mooncakes, a festive desert during family reunions in China.
With over 400,000 Chinese living and working in the UAE, there is growing interest in cultural exchange between the two peoples.
"China has always been an important market for the UAE inbound tourism. We in Ras Al Khaimah, in the last couple of years, we've been focusing on this market, with the development that is taking place currently in the destination. China will play a major role in our growth and development. Year on year we've been experiencing 45 percent to 50 percent growth and we'll continue to do so with our partners and the activities that we are planning for in China," said Iyad Rasbey, vice president of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority.
Local interest was evident as many local residents came to explore China's Mid-Autumn Festival, expressing their curiosity about Chinese culture.
"I want to know about the culture of Chinese, and I want to learn about their country, what they do here, what the program is it. For sure I want to visit China, because I want to learn more about their culture, their food, what they do for a living," said Ali Fadel, an Emirati visitor.
Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in UAE amazes visitors
Macao has been emerging as a global hub for conventions and exhibitions in recent years by exploring the enormous opportunities in the sector, driving the region to advance its economic diversification and embrace a brighter future.
Macao has received many awards this year, such as the Best Convention City (Asia) and the Best BT-MICE City, showcasing the recognition for and influence of Macao's exhibition industry.
More than 1,000 electronic game enthusiasts from all over the world gathered recently in Macao to participate in a esports themed event.
Su Zhili, organizer of the event, said that Macao's rich experience in hosting large-scale events, coupled with its good infrastructure, has driven him to choose the region as an ideal destination to hold such an activity.
"Macao has held many similar large-scale events. It has rich experience, and the facilities at the venue are relatively mature, so we can start our work comfortably," said Su.
During the first three quarters of 2024, Macao held more than 1,000 conferences and exhibitions in total.
"We will invite more professional, special conferences to be held in Macao and also cultivate more exhibition brands with international influence in Macao, so as to promote Macao's exhibitions to be more market-oriented, professional, international, digital and greener from various aspects. This is our goal," said Elaine Wong, member of the Macao Commerce and Investment Promotion Institute.
In addition, multiple large exhibitions and conferences, such as the Macao International Trade and Investment fair, the Macao Franchise Expo, and the International Infrastructure Investment and Construction Forum, are held regularly in Macao.
With the introduction of a series of policies and measures to facilitate the exchanges between the mainland and Macao, as well as the construction and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, Macao's convention and exhibition industry will embrace more opportunities for development in the foreseeable future.
"We have such a good industrial base in the Greater Bay Area. The mode of 'Convention and Exhibition + Industry' not only integrates the industries of Macao, but also the industries of the Greater Bay Area. In addition, Macao actively integrates into the national development and plays a role in the Belt and Road. Why are we so confident in Macao's convention and exhibition sector? Because it is backed by the motherland, and the country gives Macao great support," said Alan Ho, chairman of the Macao Association of Convention, Exhibition and Tourism Sectors.
Macao emerges as global hub for conventions and exhibitions, driving economic diversification and international recognition
