The Lion dance has its roots in wushu and Chinese cultural and religious traditions.

Fans to get a kick out of grand wushu events and lion dance contest in Macau

The Macau International Wushu Festival and Macau International Martial Arts Competition will be held from August 8 to 11, while the Wushu Masters Challenge will take place from August 10 to 13, and the Macau Lion Dance (The Southern Lion) Open on October 7 and 8

In Partnership WithMacao Government Tourism Office

Choco Tang

Published: 9:45am, 1 Aug 2017

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Fans of martial arts will get a kick out of Macau, where wushu takes pride of place.

The Macau government considers wushu a cultural treasure and fully supports it. In 2007, the government established the Martial Arts Youth Academy. It has also backed several wushu competitions over the years.

This month, the city will host the 6th Macau International Wushu Festival and Macau International Martial Arts Competition from August 8 to 11. The events are organised by the Macau Chinese National Traditional Sports Association, and the stage is set for wushu masters from around the world to show off their skills. Wushu experts from Malaysia, Japan and the United States will demonstrate their prowess in wushu, and taekwondo and qigong.

Coinciding with the wushu festival is the highly anticipated 2017 Wushu Masters Challenge, which takes place from August 10 to 13. The challenge will be a series of exciting events, aiming to combine various elements of sports, tourism and culture.

It is jointly organised by the Sports Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the Wushu General Association of Macau (WGAM), and the Macao Government Tourism Office. The WGAM, with more than 8,000 members and 100 affiliated associations, focuses on promoting the development of wushu.

The four-day event features an exciting line-up, including the CKF International Combat Challenge – Macao, Wushu Summer Carnival, International Taolu Competition, and the SJM 4th Asian Dragon and Lion Dance Championships.

Fans will be able to see dragon and lion dance, taolu and sanda. The lion dance is heavily influenced by wushu, as they share a number of forms, techniques and methods.

The lion dance and wushu share a number of forms, techniques and methods.

The event will take place at various locations around Macau, including the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion, the Olympic Sports Centre Indoor Pavilion, Tap Seac Square and Friendship Square. Residents and visitors can enjoy free admission to these events.

And there’s more, as WGAM will host a Wushu Interflows event on September 30 to celebrate the 18th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region.

Last year, more than 600 masters performed in one night.

Then on October 7 and 8, the 14th Macau Lion Dance (The Southern Lion) Open is set to take place at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion.

Lion dance has its roots in wushu and Chinese cultural and religious traditions. Some consider lion dance as a symbol of good luck and fortune.

The two-day event is set to be a feast for the eyes as dancers dressed in colourful costumes mimic a lion’s movements with a touch of wushu flair.

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