Macao to Host Int'l Fireworks Display Contest

The 13th Macao International Fireworks Display Contest will be held here from September 1 to October 1, a tourism official said at a press conference on July 31.

Joao M. Antunes, director of the Tourist Office of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government, said that teams from the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Thailand, Portugal, Britain, Japan, Switzerland, China and China's Taiwan will take part in the contest.

The teams will give fireworks shows on the nights of September 1, 8, 15, 22 and October 1. Each night, two teams will stage shows with each lasting about 18 minutes. The prize money for the champion will reach 6,000 US dollars, he said.

Macao started to host the first spectacular fireworks display contest in 1989 to enliven the life of local residents and attract more tourists. More than 50 international teams participated in the contest in the past 12 years.

Antunes said that this year's contest will add jubilant atmosphere to the weekends, the Mid-autumn Festival and the National Day.

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