MGM’s flagship lion dance competition will make a return to Macau this year with an elevated scale and a feisty "MGM Lion Dance Festival". With an aspiration to champion both martial arts and craftmanship underpinning Lingnan lion dance culture, the Company scales up the annual contest to “International Lion Dance Championship – MGM Cup” as one among the world’s top-class lion dance contests. The event will stage the match at the heart of Barra in front of A-Ma Temple for the first time. A two-week "MGM Lion Dance Festival" also opens its door to the public from today on September 23 to bring Macau cultural happenings aplenty. It features intangible artisans from Foshan, who will demonstrate the crafting of lion heads and drums on-site.

The combined events, spanning across the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, are set to be an outdoor cultural fete that will integrate Lingnan culture into the local community, enrich Macau’s cultural tourism appeal, and increase the global understanding of lion dance heritage.

The "MGM Lion Dance Festival" is organized by MGM; jointly curated with the Dragon & Lion Dance Federation of Foshan; and supported by the Foshan Liansheng. The opening ceremony took place at Navy Yard No.2 today on September 23. It was attended by a line-up of guests, including Leong Wai Man, representative of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macau SAR and President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau; Yin Rutao, Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of the Macau Government Tourist Office; Lam Lin Kio, Acting President of the Sports Bureau; Wong Ka Ki, Deputy Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau; Deng Weijie, President of the Dragon & Lion Dance Federation of Foshan; and Kenneth Feng, President and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited.

Kenneth Feng, President and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, says, “MGM has drawn on the traditional Chinese culture to curate innovative international cultural tourism events. As our annual lion dance contest enters its 10^th edition this year, we aspire to break new ground by hosting the lion dance contest and the ‘MGM Lion Dance Festival’ in Barra, a World heritage site, to allow people to engage in the buzz of long-standing Lingan folk culture. We aim to create a unique cultural tourism spot within the community during the holiday, inviting international tourists to enjoy us the excitement of the lion dance competition, get a hands-on experience of Lingnan cultural charm and immerse in the rich culture of Macau’s heritage area. Through this event, people across the world can experience various charms of Macau as a diversified tourist destination.”

Huang Jiali, craftsman of the Foshan Liansheng, says, “We are grateful that MGM offers us this previous cultural exchange platform. Both marital arts and craftsmanship reign supreme in lion dance. It is a traditional Chinese culture with a profound cultural value, which has been listed in the first batch of the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. In addition to the lion dance, the delicate artistry behind the production of stage props and crafts is as well worth being recognized. We believe this festival will help us reach a wider audience, promoting Lingnan lion dance craftsmanship to more people through Macau, an international city destination.”

The "MGM Lion Dance Festival" takes place in Navy Yard No.2 and around the Porto-A-Ma area for 15 days from September 23 to October 7. With the theme of “Lingnan Lion Dance Culture”, the festival features a wealth of cultural happenings, including thematic exhibitions, outdoor installations, workshops, and more. A group of artisans from the Foshan Liansheng will stand as guest performers, demonstrating the production of lion dance handicrafts every day, with their finished pieces used for public display on site.

The “International Lion Dance Championship – MGM Cup” will be held at the Barra Square in front of A-Ma Temple for the first time on October 6 and 7 – when a line-up of 17 southern lion dance troupes from 12 countries and regions, including Mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, Italy, and Japan, will come together in Macau to compete for the sought-after lion dance accolades. The contest will also be live-streamed via multiple online platforms, enabling audiences worldwide to watch the Lion Dance competition instantly. Together with the festival, Porto-A-Ma is set to become a cultural and leisure hotspot in Macau this autumn.

For more details regarding "MGM Lion Dance Festival" and “International Lion Dance Championship – MGM Cup”, please refer to: https://shorturl.at/kFQR7

###

About MGM

MGM is an abbreviation for MGM China Holdings Limited (HKEx: 2282) and is a leading developer, owner and operator of gaming and lodging resorts in the Greater China region. We are the holding company of MGM Grand Paradise, SA which holds one of the six gaming concessions to run casino games in Macau. MGM Grand Paradise, SA owns and operates MGM MACAU, the award-winning premium integrated resort located on the Macau Peninsula and MGM COTAI, a contemporary luxury integrated resort in Cotai, which opened in early 2018 and more than doubles our presence in Macau. 

MGM MACAU is a Forbes Five-Star luxury integrated resort inspired by the arts with every element of the resort infused with creativity and style. MGM MACAU has approximately 600 guest rooms and suites and boasts a number of distinguishing features, including the architecturally stunning European-inspired Grande Praça, housed under a soaring glass ceiling. MGM MACAU’s world class facilities include the MGM Art Space, dedicating over 5,000 square feet to display authentic works of art, conference and event facilities, spa, and seven signature restaurants and bars to fulfill any gastronomic craving. Our property is conveniently located on the Macau Peninsula and is directly connected to the luxury retail shopping complex, One Central.

MGM COTAI is the latest integrated resort of MGM in China. Designed as the “jewelry box” of Cotai, it offers approximately 1,400 hotel rooms and suites, Asia’s first dynamic theater, meeting space, high end spa, retail offerings and food and beverage outlets as well as the first international Mansion at MGM for the ultimate luxury experience. The Spectacle at MGM COTAI becomes the record holder of the largest free-span gridshell glazed roof (self-supporting) on January 19, 2019, making it the first architectural and structural GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for Macau, China. MGM COTAI is being developed to drive greater product diversification and bring more advanced and innovative forms of entertainment to Macau as it grows as a global tourist destination. MGM COTAI is the only mega complex and hotel in Macau to gain three-star certification in both Green Building Design and Operation Label, as well as the first hotel in the Greater Bay Area and second in Greater China to receive the certifications.

MGM China is majority owned by MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) one of the world's leading global hospitality companies, operating a portfolio of destination resort brands including Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay and Park MGM. For more information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's website at www.mgmresorts.com.

For media enquiries, please contact:    

Jessie Kuan

Director of Public Relations

MGM

Tel: (853) 8806 3412

Email: jessiekuan@mgm.mo

Karen Lam

Senior Corporate Relations Manager

MGM

Tel: (853) 8806 3421

Email: karenlam@mgm.mo