Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, addresses a reception celebrating the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Macao, south China, Oct 1, 2022. (CHEONG KAM KA / XINHUA)
MACAO – China's Macao Special Administrative Region on Saturday marked the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China with a series of events while gearing up for tourists from the mainland during the weeklong National Day holiday.
The Macao SAR government hosted a flag-raising ceremony and a reception attended by senior officials, legislators and representatives from different walks of life to mark the National Day, which falls on Oct 1.
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Macao rolled out several promotional events, including a fireworks show, new interactive devices at the Macao Grand Prix Museum, and community tours to attract tourists
Ho Iat Seng, chief executive of the Macao SAR, said at the reception that the motherland provides solid support for stability and harmony in Macao, vowing to unswervingly implement the principles of "one country, two systems" and "patriots administering Macao."
Against the backdrop of complex changes and the COVID-19 pandemic, Ho stressed the importance of making efforts to continue speeding up Macao's economic recovery and pushing for appropriate economic diversification while working to control the epidemic.
To attract tourists from the mainland during the holiday, Macao has rolled out several promotional events, including a fireworks show on Saturday evening, new interactive devices at the Macao Grand Prix Museum, and community tours.
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The Macao Government Tourism Office has been promoting the city as a safe tourist destination on social media in the mainland. It has also worked with businesses to offer discounts for hotels and air tickets.
This Oct 1, 2022 photo shows a reception celebrating the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in Macao, south China. (CHEONG KAM KA / XINHUA)
On Friday, the day before the holiday started, Macao recorded a total of 30,815 visitor arrivals, a new high in recent days, according to the office.