[June 23, 2025, Macau] The 2025 National Arts Fund-supported project, “Talent Training in Cultural and Creative Design for the Maritime Silk Road”, officially commenced at the Palace Museum in Beijing. Submitted by MGM to the China National Arts Fund, the program is designed to promote research and innovative transformation on the cultural and historical heritage of the Maritime Silk Road in a bid to nurture related talents, thereby highlighting Macau's pivotal role as a bridge between Chinese and Western cultures. In collaboration with the Palace Museum and Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology (BIFT) to form an elite teaching team, the program started in Beijing and will carry on a 60-day journey of intensive coursework and field studies, to explore several key nodes along the Maritime Silk Road.

The opening ceremony of this project was held on June 16 at the Palace Museum, attended by distinguished guests including: Du Haijiang, Member of the 14^th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Party Committee Secretary and Deputy Director of the Palace Museum; Zhang Yifeng, Deputy Director of the Beijing Liaison Office of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Huang Keying, Party Committee Secretary of BIFT; Pansy Ho, Member of the Standing Committee of CPPCC, Chairperson and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited, along with 30 participants of this project.

Du Haijiang, said, “This program seamlessly weaves the cultural essence of the Maritime Silk Road into contemporary art and design, ushering in a new chapter for cultural and artistic innovation. It also contributes to the high-quality advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative, the global presence of Chinese culture, and the growth of the cultural and creative industries.”

Huang Keying, added, “By nurturing pioneers in cultural and creative design who possess a global perspective, innovative capabilities, and a profound knowledge in Chinese cultural heritage, this program goes beyond the inheritance and innovation of craftsmanship—it embodies the concept of ‘design diplomacy’. We also hope to contribute the intelligence and warmth of Chinese design to building the shared future of humanity.”

Pansy Ho encouraged participants when delivering her speech, “I hope young people will thrive on this high-level platform, and evolve into a new generation of cultural innovators equipped with knowledge, creativity, and a global perspective. With the rich cultural roots of the Maritime Silk Road, we aim to inject new vitality into Chinese culture and bring it confidently onto the global stage.”

Following the ceremony, Pansy Ho delivered the first lecture titled “Maritime Silk Road: Cultural Heritage and Creative Empowerment”. Du Haijiang followed with a session on “Upholding the ‘Two Integrations’ and Implementing the ‘Two Innovations’ to Promote High-Quality Development of Cultural Creativity”. Participants expressed that the solid theoretical foundation would greatly help their field studies and creative work.

Kun Wang Tou, one of the participants and a full-time artist from Macau, shared, “This training is a valuable opportunity in my artistic career. I hope to further explore the essence of the Maritime Silk Road while broadening my horizons, and creatively incorporate what I have learned, along with Macau elements, into my work.”

The program adopts a multifaceted training approach combining theory, field studies, and practice, aiming to transform participants into practitioners, communicators, and promoters of cultural inheritance and creativity. It aims to cultivate new talent for the development of the creative and cultural tourism industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, while also contributing to the continuation of the cultural legacy of the Silk Road. Since its nationwide recruitment in March, the program has successfully selected 30 outstanding participants, including professionals from the cultural heritage and arts sectors, academic researchers, and doctoral candidates. 

Participants begin their journey in Beijing, where they undergo immersive field studies and intensive training. The program then continues in Quanzhou, Guangzhou, Hengqin, and Macau, offering distinctive learning experiences. After these on-site sessions, participants will enter an online creative phase to refine their work through ongoing dialogue with instructors. The final outcomes will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2026.

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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 Greater China. 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. 

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. The POLY MGM MUSEUM spanning almost 2,000 square meters, is constructed in accordance with Chinese national standards for the exhibition of Grade-One cultural relics. MGM MACAU’s world class facilities also include 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.

Designed as the “jewelry box” of Cotai, MGM COTAI offers approximately 1,400 hotel rooms and suites, meeting space, high end spa, retail offerings, food and beverage outlets as well as the first international Mansion at MGM for the ultimate luxury experience.  MGM has joined hands with renowned Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou to set up the “Macau 2049” residency in MGM Theater. 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

Executive Director of Public Relations

MGM

Tel: (853) 8806 3412

Email: jessiekuan@mgm.mo

Karen Lam

Assistant Director of Corporate Relations

MGM

Tel: (853) 8806 3421

Email: karenlam@mgm.mo