Culture of Macau
Encyclopedia
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
has been the fusion between the Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
and Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
cultures. With most of the population being Chinese, one would expect the total assimilation of the Portuguese over the past four centuries (as seen in Portuguese Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
). However, this has not been the case at least until the past decade or so. Before 1974, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
had a permanent military stationed in Macau. Hence, there were always Portuguese men sent to Macau to complete their compulsory military service. Many decided to stay and settle down after their service was completed.
People and languages
Macau's population consists of mostly Han ChineseHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
(95%) and Portuguese (2%), with a minority of other ethnicities. Although both Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
(Cantonese
Standard Cantonese
Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
) and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
are the official languages of the region, most of the residents speak Cantonese. Currently there is only one school in Macau where Portuguese is the medium of instruction.
The Macanese language
Macanese language
Macanese or Macau Creole is a creole language derived mainly from Malay, Sinhalese, Cantonese, and Portuguese, which was originally spoken by the Macanese community of the Portuguese colony of Macau...
, generally known as Patuá, is a distinctive Creole
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
that is still spoken by several dozen Macanese, an ethnic group of mixed Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
and Portuguese ancestry that accounts for a small percentage of Macau's population.
Signs in Macau are displayed in both Traditional Chinese and Portuguese. In contrast to mainland China, Macau, along with Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, generally does not use Simplified Chinese Characters.
Cultural Identity
Although Macanese culture is more Portuguese than Chinese, Portuguese cultureCulture of Portugal
The culture of Portugal is the result of a complex flow of different civilizations during the past Millennia. From prehistoric cultures, to its Pre-Roman civilizations , passing through its contacts with the Phoenician-Carthaginian world, the Roman period , the...
almost got out of touch in Macau after their Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n provinces won independence and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
claimed Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia....
in 1975 and the main language is Cantonese and the main religion is Buddhism. There is no separate Portuguese culture in Macau since most of the culture came from there, then, Macanese culture now influences the Portuguese counterpart. Popularity of Chinese food and Chinese martial arts like kung fu and wu shu (which are studied by Portuguese because of self defense) worldwide made them popular in Portugal.
Mass Media
Most of pop music that can be heard on the channel TDM Teledifusao de Macau (澳廣視 Est. 1982) http://portugues.tdm.com.mo/eng_news.php is imported from Hong Kong or overseas (e.g. mainly JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
). However, more and more local songs are being recorded by locals. Some Brazilian TV stations are also broadcast in Macau.
Cuisine
Macanese cuisine is a blend of southern Chinese and Portuguese cuisines, with significant influences from Southeast Asia and the Lusophone world. The most famous snack is the Portuguese-style egg tartEgg tart
The egg tart or egg custard tart is a kind of custard tart pastry commonly found in Hong Kong and other Asian countries, which consists of an outer pastry crust that is filled with egg custard and baked...
. It is widely popular in Southeast Asia, especially in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. The most famous Macanese food is Galinha à Portuguesa
Galinha à Portuguesa
Galinha à Portuguesa or "Portuguese-style Chicken" is a dish of Macanese cuisine. Despite its name, Galinha à Portuguesa did not originate from Portugal as such; rather it came from Macao, where the dish was given the "Portuguese" name to enhance its status.Galinha à Portuguesa is served as pieces...
which is served in numerous varieties in Macau restaurants.
Religion
The primary religion is BuddhismBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. Roman Catholicism has considerable influence in education and social welfare in Macau. However, they only count for about six percent of the population. Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
is spreading quickly, especially among the younger demographic groups.
Chinese Traditional Medicine
Traditional Chinese medicineTraditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
(i.e. medical practice) is not only a nonremovable part of culture in the sphere of medical education but also a very common and alternative choice of treatment in Macau for people of all social classes. With over 90 percent of its population as Chinese ancestry, Macau has a long history of using Chinese medicine, and Chinese traditional treatment has enjoyed a great popularity. The Faculty of Chinese Medicine http://www.must.edu.mo/2300CCMCC.jsp , Macau University of Science and Technology http://www.must.edu.mo/0000E.jsp was set up in the year of 2000.
A Pan-Pearl River Delta Forum and Exhibition for Chinese Medicine was held in Macau from June 21 to 23, 2005, which would hopefully raise Macau's ambition to act as an access for Chinese traditional medicine leading to the international market.
Film
A few independent films were produced since late 1990s. Some of the well-known productions includes:- 窗前熗後 by Vincent Hui (2000)
- Love Is Not A Sin (鍾意無罪) by Doug Chan (2003). Winner of Golden DV Award (27th HKIFF), Winner of The Best Original Screenplay Award (1st Downunder Internation Film Festival, Darwin).
- macau.xmas.2005 (澳門.聖誕.2005)http://macau-creatives.org/xmas by Sio (2005). http://diffproductions.com
Music
Macau International Music Festival is conducted by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macau SAR Government every year. The 20th anniversary of the MIMF is celebrated with a touch of romanticismRomanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
. Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
, Chinese folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
-pop, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and Fado
Fado
Fado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar, Rui Vieira Nery, states that "the only reliable information on the history of Fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best...
will fill Macau's autumn nights with magic. The eclectic programme of 28 performances promises to delight Macau audiences, accustomed to the festival's annual offering of different kinds of music from all over the world.
- List of musical performances in MIMF:
- JazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
- Classical musicClassical musicClassical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
- ElectronicaElectronicaElectronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
- Chinese folkFolk musicFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
-pop - rockRock musicRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
- fadoFadoFado is a music genre which can be traced to the 1820s in Portugal, but probably with much earlier origins. Fado historian and scholar, Rui Vieira Nery, states that "the only reliable information on the history of Fado was orally transmitted and goes back to the 1820s and 1830s at best...
.
- Jazz
Other Lusophone music
Lusophone music
Music from Portugal and Portuguese speaking countries is music that comes from Lusitanic countries or that is performed in Portuguese or Portuguese-based creole languages.Generally this term is not used outside of the blogosphere....
types popular there are samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
, bossa nova
Bossa nova
Bossa nova is a style of Brazilian music. Bossa nova acquired a large following in the 1960s, initially consisting of young musicians and college students...
, and kizomba
Kizomba
Kizomba is one of the most popular genres of dance and music created in Angola. Derived directly from Zouk, sung generally in Portuguese, it is a genre of music with a romantic flow mixed with African rhythm. The kizomba dancing style is also known to be very sensual.- Origin :Kizomba was developed...
. http://traveloscopy.com/CMS/content/view/731/2/
Classic
MacaneseMacanese
Macanese may refer to:* Macanese people, the people of Macau* Macanese people , an ethnic group in Macau of mainly Portuguese, and some with African, Cantonese, South Asian, Southeast Asian or other origins...
(i.e. with Portuguese descent) literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
is a multi-dimensional art. Their literature appeared as early as in the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, a group of well-known writers have appeared:
- 李安樂的詩集《孤獨之路》- AnthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
"Lonely Road", 《美麗的蛋家女》(TancareiraBela)，《沉思的蛋家女》(Tancareira Pensativa)及《蛋家女之歌》(CancāoDe Tancareira) - Leanel Alves. - 若瑟(阿德)的詩集《澳門，受祝福的花園》- Anthology "Blessed garden, Macau" - Jose dos Santos FerreiraJosé dos Santos FerreiraJosé dos Santos Ferreira, better known as Adé, was born in Portuguese Macau on 28 July 1919 and died in Hong Kong on 24 March 1993. Born to a father from metropolitan Portugal and a Macanese mother, he was the last poet of distinction to write in Macanese , the Portuguese-Cantonese creole.Adé lived...
. - 江道蓮的短篇小說集《長衫》- Short fictionFictionFiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
: "The Gown" written by Deolinda de Conceição http://www.arscives.com/Deolinda/introduction.htm - 飛歷奇的長篇小說《愛情與小脚趾》和《大辫子的誘惑》- Long fiction: "Love and small toes" & "The Bewitching Braid" written by Henrique de Senna FernandesHenrique de Senna FernandesHenrique de Senna Fernandes , was a Macanese writer. Born in 1923 as one of 11 siblings to an old Macanese family, whom settle in Macau over 250 years ago, he studied law at University of Coimbra before becoming a writer. His work, written in the Portuguese language, evokes the atmosphere of the...
http://www.informac.gov.mo/aam/portuguese/advogado/0028.htm. - 馬若龍的詩集《一日中的四季》- Anthology "Four seasons in one day" - Carlos Marreiros http://www.imprensa.macau.gov.mo/galeria/pt/dinastia/biografia.asp
- Other:
- "Chinese Urheen - 《中國二胡》" Camilo PessanhaCamilo PessanhaCamilo Pessanha was a Portuguese symbolist poet.-Early years:Camilo de Almeida Pessanha was born the illegitimate son of Francisco António de Almeida Pessanha, an aristocratic law student, and Maria do Espírito Santo Duarte Nunes Pereira, his housekeeper, on September 7, 1867, at 11.00 p.m., in Sé...
(庇山耶) 1867 - 1926 - "Collection of Cathedral of Saint Paul -《三巴集》" WuLi (清代 • 吳曆) 1632 - 1718
- Renowned playwrightPlaywrightA playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Tang Xianzu http://www.renditions.org/renditions/authors/tangxz.html (明代 • 湯顯祖 1550 - 1616). His works covered "XiangAo Meets Jia Hu" - 《香澳逢賈胡》、"Listens to Xiangshan - Translator" one, "Listens to Xiangshan - Translator" two - 《聼香山譯者 1, 2 》, 《香山驗香所採香口號》, "South Haijiang" -《南海江》 and so on. These works mainly reflected and depicted Macau's local scenery at that time (late Ming dynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
), the human sentiment and international trade. - "The Chart of Maritime Countries - 《海國圖志》" , "Listens to the DulcimerHammered dulcimerThe hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the hammered dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings...
& Song playing by a foreign lady in the Aomen Garden - 《澳门花园听夷女洋琴歌》" written by WeiYuan (清代 • 魏源 1794 - 1857), displayed his personal feeling and understanding of classical musicClassical musicClassical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
.
- "Chinese Urheen - 《中國二胡》" Camilo Pessanha
Cantonese Opera
Cantonese OperaCantonese opera
Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Cantonese culture. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing,...
http://www.macauheritage.net/Trends/NewsE.asp?nid=5196 is quite popular especially in the group of elderly. In 2003, the Cultural Institute of the Macau S.A.R Government, in collaboration with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong SAR organized the exhibition " Fong Yim Fun - The Life and Work of a Cantonese Opera
Cantonese opera
Cantonese opera is one of the major categories in Chinese opera, originating in southern China's Cantonese culture. It is popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Malaysia. Like all versions of Chinese opera, it is a traditional Chinese art form, involving music, singing,...
Artiste" http://www.macaumuseum.gov.mo/htmls/tempexhi/FongYimFun/Intro_eng.htm . The part of her works (as a well-known actress and opera artiste in Canton, Hong Kong and Macau, Fong Yim Fun performed in more than 150 operas and films) was exhibited in the Museum of Macau http://www.macaumuseum.gov.mo/maineng.htm at that time.
Facilities
Macau Cultural Centre http://gb.ccm.gov.mo/en/intro.htm(i.e. Centro Cultural de Macau) established in 1999 for the purpose of offering unique venues for artistic events, international conferences and exhibitions, enhancing cultural exchange and helping to expand culture horizon amongst Macau residents. Hundred and thousand programs and events launch almost every single day, e.g. martial artsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
performance, Chinese traditional music, foreign music, varies types of dancing, etc.
Macau Ricci Institute is a recent foundation of the Jesuits in Macau. Its aim is to continue the process of friendly encounter between Chinese
Culture of China
Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest and most complex. The area in which the culture is dominant covers a large geographical region in eastern Asia with customs and traditions varying greatly between towns, cities and provinces...
and Western cultures and traditions, which was begun by Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci, SJ was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th-18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God....
1552-1610 many years ago. http://www.riccimac.org/eng/mris/index.htm