MACAO NAMED A UNESCO CREATIVE CITY FOR GASTRONOMY

  NEW YORK - 11/03/2017 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

This week, Macao, China received the acclaimed status as a new member city of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of Gastronomy. The designation of Macao as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy adds a powerful international branding to the city’s portfolio that already includes over 20 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the inscription of the collection of “Chapas Sínicas” (Official Records of Macao During the Qing Dynasty (1693-1886)) on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. Macao has been an associate member of UNESCO since 1995. 

With 180 cities represented within the network, the UCCN designates cities around the world as Creative Cities based on their commitment to promoting creative industries and strengthening participation in overall cultural life. The cuisine of Macao illustrates the territory’s multi-cultural history and is a combination of ingredients and cooking techniques from countries along Portugal’s historic trade routes, including Goa, Mozambique, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The designation of Macao as one of the newest members of the UCCN comes after more than a year of preparation in both private and public sectors. It is the third Creative City of Gastronomy in China, joining Chengdu and Shunde.

“I am extremely happy that we joined UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the field of Gastronomy and am strongly confident that becoming a member of the network will open new horizons for Macao to develop as a diverse, unique, and sustainable city,” said Alexis Tam, the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government and Chairman of the Application of Macao, China for the UCCN Committee. “Gastronomy has all along been a distinctive element of our culture of over 400 years of east-meets-west exchanges and we will devote our utmost efforts to bring our unique elements to contribute to the enrichment of the network.

To celebrate the designation of Macao as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, the Macao SAR Government will launch a series of activities locally and internationally to raise the awareness about the designation. This includes an educational website exclusively about Macanese gastronomy, which is now live: http://gastronomy.gov.mo. These initiatives will debut in the coming months and will support the UCCN’s mission to use creativity as a driver for sustainable and urban development.

About Macao, China:
A former Portuguese enclave located on the Pearl River Delta in southern China, Macao is the result of cultural exchange between Europe and China spanning over 400 years. Like Hong Kong, Macao is currently a Special Administration Region (SAR) of China. It is easily accessible from the US, with connecting flights into its international airport, and via Hong Kong, which is less than 40 miles away and only an hour via high-speed ferry. For more information, visit http://www.macaotourism.gov.mo.