• 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the “MGM Junior Lion Dance Summer Class” and the 11th edition of the “International Lion Dance Championship – MGM Cup”.
• The events aim to propel the city’s cultural tourism towards higher-quality development.

MGM has spent the last decade promoting Chinese culture and the art of lion dance, actively advancing the spread of Lingnan culture. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the “MGM Junior Lion Dance Summer Class” and the 11th edition of the “International Lion Dance Championship 2024 – MGM Cup”.

MGM said these events will continue to intertwine Lingnan lion dance culture and Macau’s renowned world heritage site of A-Ma Temple, aiming to expand the international appeal and influence of Lingnan lion dance by using world-class competitions to tell compelling stories of China and Macau.

In late August, MGM hosted a press conference for the 11th “MGM Lion Dance Championship” and the graduation ceremony for the 10th “MGM Junior Lion Dance Summer Class” at MGM Cotai. The Championship is scheduled to take place on 5 and 6 October at the A-Ma Temple Square, while the graduation ceremony honored 100 participants from this year’s Junior Lion Dance Program.

According to MGM, the 11th “MGM Lion Dance Championship” will gather 21 teams with a total of 210 athletes to compete in four contests, namely the “Freestyle Lion Dance Championship – Taolu Movements on Poles”, “Female Traditional Lion Dance Championship”, “Youth Traditional Lion Dance Championship” and “Junior Traditional Lion Dance Championship”. Participation has increased by 20% from the previous year, with teams hailing from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Japan, Italy and Myanmar.

The Championship is jointly organized by MGM and the Dragon & Lion Dance Federation of Asia, advised by the Chinese Dragon & Lion Dance Sports Association, undertaken by the Wushu General Association of Macau, and supported by the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR, Sports Bureau, Education and Youth Development Bureau, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Macao Government Tourism Office, Municipal Affairs Bureau, Marine and Water Bureau, and International Dragon and Lion Dance Federation.

MGM noted that this highly anticipated international competition, staged during China’s National Day Golden Week at the historic A-Ma Temple, will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau SAR.

Since last year, MGM has moved the prominent international lion dance competition into the Barra District to highlight the significance and history of Lingnan lion dance culture, injecting new vitality into traditional culture that serves as a good example of the export of Chinese culture from Macau to the world.

Ten years of nurturing 640 Young Lion Dance talents

At the ceremony, MGM revealed that over the past decade, the company has held the Junior Lion Dance Summer Class each year to help children make the most of their leisure time, improve their physical fitness and team spirit, and to build cultural confidence. This year saw a record number of registrations, three times the usual number, with MGM expanding the class size to 100 participants for the first time. Over the 10 editions, MGM has already trained 640 young lion talents from Macau.

The 10th “MGM Lion Dance Training Program” was co-organized by MGM and the Mak Chi Leong Dragon & Lion Dance Association Macau, attracting nearly 250 participants and parents to the opening ceremony in early July.

During the ceremony, Catarina Lio, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing at MGM, commented, “Even though the journey has not been easy, the Junior Lion Dance Summer Class has reached its 10th anniversary. Some of the alumni have already achieved remarkable results in youth competitions. We are grateful for the support of the parents and hope that the young lion dancers will appreciate the charm of this sport.

“MGM has organized a variety of events to preserve the lion dance tradition. We strive to popularize the lion dance tradition in the Lingnan culture and leverage MGM’s strengths to make Macau a platform for showcasing lion dance.”

MGM’s mascot Leo made a special appearance during the orientation, welcoming the new young lions and kicking off the program. The “MGM Lion Dance Training Program” also featured a captivating performance, setting an example for the young lions. As per tradition, the senior lions tied belts around the waists of the new participants, symbolizing the passing down of the lion dance spirit from generation to generation.

The seven-week program was open to children aged five to eight, where they learned about the history and basic movements of lion dance, introductory stance training, use of props and musical instruments, and traditional routines. Talented participants who completed the training and passed evaluations are eligible to join the “MGM Lion Dance Training Program” for further training in lion dance techniques. The team has trained around 200 lion dance athletes in Macau who actively participate in various competitions, community events and school activities.

In September, MGM will host an exchange trip in Foshan, the birthplace of lion dance, for junior lion masters and teenage lion dance athletes to deepen their understanding of Lingnan lion dance in its cradleland.

Hubert Wang, President & Chief Operating Officer of MGM China, said, “In order to pass on the lion dance culture in Macau, MGM nurtures local lion dance athletes in a systematic manner, from summer class, the annual training program, exchange trips in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) to international competition, all with the aim of offering an ideal environment for the development of lion dance. We have been bringing new elements and upgrading the Championship continuously, and it has now been recognized as one of the top three southern lion dance competitions in the world.

“To date, MGM has been playing an active role in promoting the lion dance culture in the Greater Bay Area and using Macau as an important link to bridge the cultural exchanges between East and West. In the future, we will carry on expanding Chinese culture through international sports and cultural events.”