The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) held a series of sports and recreational activities, titled “Infinite Joy in the Year of Dragon” from January 25 to 29, 2012 in several locations throughout Macao to welcome the coming of the Lunar New Year. It was a joyous beginning to the year and the activities helped spice up the festivities in a joyous atmosphere.

January 25^th (3^rd Day of the Chinese New Year) - “New Year’s Fortune Bike Ride”: Participants gathered at the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park at 8 o’clock in the morning for the New Year’s Bike Ride and rode on through to the Ecological Bicycle Path in the Kam Chong Reservoir located in the Shiqui District in Zhongshan City. Two hundred people took part in the activity, some of whom were families looking to enjoy a loving and blissful day biking together. The “New Year’s Fortune Bike Ride” helped wish the participants success and good luck for the coming year and offered an exuberant New Year’s event for biking enthusiasts.  

January 25^th – 26^th (3^rd and 4^th Days of the Chinese New Year) - The “Lion Dance Exhibitions” took place at The Macao Association for The Handicapped and the Tap Seac Plaza 4:30 in the afternoon.  As the perfect way to greet the New Year, the jubilant atmosphere provided by the traditional Chinese martial arts, lion dance and dragon dance performances are must-haves to welcome in the Lunar New Year.  The performance of the custom -”cai ching” - which literally means “plucking the greens” - and the dragon dances amazed the audience. The event attracted a large number of residents and tourists alike and frequent warm applauses could be heard throughout, sending best wishes for the coming New Year.

January 28^th (6^th Day of the Chinese New Year) - The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), the Macao Sport Development Board, the Macao Deaf Association, The Macao Special Olympics, and The Macao Association for The Handicapped, co-organized the “New Year’s Recreational Activities for the Disabled”, which took place from 2:00-6:00 in the afternoon at the basketball courts located in Avenida Comendador Ho Yin. A total of 250 people participated in the event. Through the event, the disabled community was able to experience the fun of sports, benefited from the physical exercise and strengthened the body’s resistance to illness. The activity itself also enhanced the care and understanding of the local society towards people with special needs, while simultaneously promoting the message of a harmonious society of people with and without disabilities.

January 29^th (7^th Day of the Chinese New Year) - The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), the Macao Sport Development Board and the Macao Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre co-organized the “Race to the Top of the Macao Tower”. The long-distance race started off at 8:30 in the morning at the Macao Tower. Over 600 runners first finished a 3 km run round the Sai Van Lake and then charged their way up to the 61-storey Tower climbing the entire 1298 steps.  The race symbolized a steady climb to success in the Year of Dragon. Sports lovers from 10 to 69 years of age and from many countries joined the event, giving it a competitive yet lively atmosphere. Through this wholesome activity, the organizers hoped to reinforce the message of “healthy body, healthy mind” to the citizens, encourage everyone to actively participate in sports, develop the good habit of regular exercise and improve their bodies’ resistance to illness.

January 29^th (The 7^th Day of Chinese New Year) - The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM), the Macao Sport Development Board, the Macao Football Association and the Macao Basketball Association co-organized a “New Year Open Five-a-side Football tournament” and “New Year male and female 3-on-3 Open Basketball tournament”. The games kicked off at noon in the “Canal dos Patos” basketball court. The event attracted the participation of football and basketball lovers and the competition was intense and full of excitments.