Feature: Festive events highlight New Year celebrations in Macao

Tourists visit the Senado Square in south China's Macao, Dec. 31, 2023. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

MACAO, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Festive events, such as countdown parties, performance galas and interactive community installations, have lightened up celebrations for this New Year in China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).

At the Sai Van Lake Square and the Taipa Houses Museum, crowds gathered on New Year's Eve for songs and performances by local and international musicians alike, cheering "Happy New Year!" as fireworks blossomed over the landmark Macao Tower at midnight.

The New Year countdown gig staged by the Jiangsu Satellite TV from the Chinese mainland, for the seventh time in Macao, again won screams and thunderous applause from fans for pop stars from China and abroad.

"To me, Macao has truly lived up to its reputation as a city of performances," said a college student surnamed Sun from southwest China's Chongqing municipality who came to Macao specifically for the shows.

During the three-day New Year holiday, tourists from home and abroad flocked into Macao for a taste of its festivity, with long queues emerging in border ports between Macao and its neighboring mainland city of Zhuhai.

Data from the Macao Government Tourism Office showed visitor arrivals in Macao on New Year's Eve reached 175,030, a record high daily number since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Total number of visitor arrivals in 2023 reached 2.23 million, recovering to around 70 percent of the level in 2019.

The office said visitor arrivals in Macao kept rising in 2023 after customs clearance fully recovered, which proved Macao's attractiveness as a world tourism and leisure center.

The tourism office also joined hands with major local enterprises to present romantic and colorful light installations, mapping performance and interactive installations, illuminating the entire city with dazzling and charming projection mapping shows and turning it into a unique large night paradise.

At the Mount Fortress garden in the city center, multiple large-scale festival installations and dazzling lighting decorations, including a flashing giant bear and a seven-meter-tall Santa Claus, captured the hearts of many, to be accompanied by romantic snowfall, colorful light shows and live music performances every night.

"I found Macao very busy and lively this holiday, with rich festive decorations and food," said a tourist with the surname of Mo from Zhuhai.

Warm weather also returned to Macao during the holiday after the cold wave hit on previous days, encouraging more locals to go out and enjoy sunshine along the city's long coastline.

"I wish for a better year ahead, not just for my family, but also for Macao and our country," said a resident surnamed Qu who was busy barbecuing on Macao's unique black sand beach.

Tourists visit the Senado Square in south China's Macao, Dec. 31, 2023. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

Tourists visit the Ruins of St. Paul's in south China's Macao, Dec. 31, 2023. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

Tourists visit the Ruins of St. Paul's in south China's Macao, Dec. 31, 2023. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)