Chinese New Year is the most significant Chinese festival of the year and Macao's celebrations are set to be as vibrant as ever in 2019.

Its bustling city streets will soon be filled with glistening lanterns and colourful New Year decorations as it prepares to welcome in the 'Year of the Pig'. Visitors to Macao during the holiday can expect to see colourful parades, cultural performances including traditional lion dancers and breath-taking firework displays.

The highlight events of the festivities will be the two Parades for Celebration of the Year of the Pig, which take place on 7 and 10 February. Macao will light up with illuminated floats and over 1,000 performers from around the world who will make their way through the city's atmospheric streets and plazas. The parades incorporate some of Macao's most famous sites including the iconic Ruins of St Paul's, Sai Van Lake Square and the Macau Tower, which acts as a picturesque backdrop to the ultimate fireworks extravaganza during the holiday.

Alongside the public events, Macao's locals will be taking part in cultural traditions that date back centuries. Many will set off firecrackers to ward off evil spirits and fill their homes with beautiful blooms from the Lunar New Year Flower Market, which will open from 28 January – 5 February, for good luck.    Auspicious foods are eaten - such as Chinese dumplings and fish, thought to bring wealth and prosperity – while "lai see" (red packets) containing money are given to relatives and friends to wish them good luck and prosperity throughout the year.

Keep up to date with all the latest news and information about Macao on Facebook www.facebook.com/MacaoUK, Twitter www.twitter.com/MacaoUK, Instagram www.instagram.com/MacaoUK or visit www.visitmacao.co.uk

For further media information and images contact:

Rebecca Pasha

Macao Government Tourism Office – UK & Ireland Representative

E: rebecca@humewhitehead.co.uk

T: +44 (0) 203 375 4054

About Macao:

A Special Administrative Region of China since 1999, Macao blends the best of east and west, old and new and is one of Asia's most intriguing destinations. Located just 40 miles from Hong Kong on China's south coast, it offers a world class hotel, restaurant, shopping and entertainment scene, whilst retaining its unique Portuguese-Chinese culture in its UNESCO World Heritage listed architecture, colourful events and fusion cuisine. Macao packs a lot into its 11 square miles and makes the perfect addition to a Far East holiday or stopover en route “Down Under”.