IAM to hold the first “International Tea Day Carnival” to promote tea culture to the public

MACAU, April 24 - In support of the “International Tea Day”, the Macao Tea Culture House under the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) will organise the first “International Tea Day Carnival” on 16 May. With tea culture as the core and the Chinese culture as the foundation, the event brings the public rich carnival activities including booth games, workshops, tea lessons, tea tasting zone and traditional craftsmanship demonstration, highlighting the elegance of the Chinese culture and the beauty of tea art. Members of the public are welcome to take part in the activities.    

The opening ceremony of the “International Tea Day Carnival” will take place at 3 p.m. on 16 May in the Hundred Steps Promenade of Lou Lim Ioc Park. The award ceremony of a tea tin painting contest will be held concurrently, showcasing the award-winning entries at the venue. A traditional Chinese craftmanship demonstration zone is especially available in the Macao Tea Culture House on the same day, with two professional craftsmen invited from the mainland demonstrating personally how Zisha tea ware and Guangcai tea ware are made, as a way to introduce national intangible cultural heritage to the Macao community. A tea tasting zone and traditional Chinese clothing try-on are also offered for free in the venue for visitors to put on the clothing and take photos in the Macao Tea Culture House distinctive installations zone with unique architectural styles besides indulging in tea aroma. 

Three tea-themed booth games are set up in Lou Lim Ioc Park, alongside tea riddles zone. Those succeeding in solving the riddles can bring home a prize, on a first-come, first-served basis. In order for the public to know more about the diversity of tea culture, the carnival also offers workshops and tea lessons, including 2 creative tea tin workshops and 5 hand-made tea soap workshops. During the tea lessons, tea culture enthusiasts can enjoy comprehensive activities namely talks, tea brewing and tea tasting. Due to limited quota for the workshops and the tea lessons, interested individuals can secure their spots by signing up for participation on “Macao One Account” to take part in the activities for free, before registration is full. The details of the activities can be found on the IAM website at www.iam.gov.mo.       

The United Nations designates 21 May as “International Tea Day”, observed annually to promote tea culture worldwide. Macao, a trading point through which the Chinese tea leaves were transported to Europe early at the beginning of the 17th century while introducing tea drinking culture and tea history to Western countries, plays an essential role in the process of the products going global. The Macao Tea Culture House is Macao’s only pavilion themed on tea culture which it has been committed to promoting throughout the years. Holding the first “International Tea Day Carnival” this year, it aims to further promote tea culture among the public with the variety of educational activities and games available in the Macao Tea Culture House as a focal point and expands to Lou Lim Ioc Park, combining tea culture with the scenery of the Suzhou-style garden.