Cooperation in the Pearl River Delta Region (Macau)

The Macao SAR Government has established channels of communication with surrounding regions to ensure the diversity of cultural expressions, in addition to the mechanisms established in the “Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Cooperation Meeting” in 2003. Specific cooperation projects include: 1. exchanges between performing arts personnel, 2. Cooperation and exchange of cultural information, 3. Cultural cooperation in museum affairs, 4. Exchanges and cooperation in library affairs, 5. Cooperation in matters of intangible cultural heritage, 6. Cooperation in cultural (creative) industries. These six cooperation projects provide a strong impetus to cultural cooperation in these three areas. The recently signed “Framework Agreement on Hong Kong/Guangdong Cooperation” and the “Framework Agreement on Macao/Guangdong Cooperation” foretell that, under the support and attention bestowed by the relevant government departments, the cultural exchanges and integration of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will be increased to a higher level, expanded to new areas, and benefit more people. Moreover, it opens up more opportunities for regional cultural exchanges and cooperation, while maintaining the cultural diversity in these three areas.

The prosperous development of cultural undertakings in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao has much to do with the cultural benefits and welfare of residents in the three regions, the further transformation of the modes of economic development, promotion of cultural soft power and enhancement of regional competitiveness, as well as the coordinated, scientific and innovative development of economy, society and sciences in the Pearl River Delta. This cooperative mechanism also offers a more convenient and efficient platform for the cultural development of the three regions, actively improves the resource integration, talent exchange of the three regions to complement each other with respective advantages, and promotes the development of diverse cultural expressions of the regions. The cultural cooperative system of Macao, Guangdong and HK has facilitated the joint efforts in the application of “Yueju Opera” and “Production Techniques of Chinese Herb Tea” to the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006. “Yueju Opera” was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanities in 2009.