Chinese President Xi Jinping recently delivered a speech at a gathering in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Macao's return to the motherland. In his speech, Xi highly praised the social and cultural atmosphere in Macao. He also complimented Macao’s government and residents for understanding the importance of harmony, unity and consultation, as well as avoiding disputes and internal friction.

Xi said that in Macao, different ethnic groups respect each other and help each other, diverse cultures achieve peaceful coexistence and mutual benefit and local residents work together to create a harmonious and mutually supportive society.

Xi emphasized that tolerance and harmony are vital factors that stimulate the social vitality of Macao and that consolidate the city's inexhaustible strength in moving forward.

With the combination of east and west, Macao is more stylish than ever. A Macao writer once said that Macao is a bridge through which Matteo Ricci, Morrison and other missionaries introduced Western culture to China, and it was also an important starting point at which Chinese nationals like Lin Zexu and Zheng Guanying broadened their perceptions of the world. However, as a previously colony, Macao could not promote its multicultural beauty; only when historical tensions eased could people be immersed in the charm of the human civilization. Since reunification, Macao has enjoyed a perfect combination of various cultural elements, ancient and modern, eastern and western, such as it’s developing cultural industry and foreign exchanges, as well as the title of “gourmet city” and the “Macao historic district", which has been listed as world cultural heritage.

With a bird’s eye view of the peninsula from atop Fortress Hill, Macao is expanding from being "gaming only" to a “colorful city", where people live a relaxing life in an environment where commerical development and ancient culture coexist.  It is now an internationally renowned city while still retaining the original "fragrance of lotus".

On this small yet multicultural island, people from different ethnic groups, including Chinese, Portuguese and other mixed Portuguese and Asian ancestry, live in harmony with each other. For example, the Spring Festival, one of China's most important traditional holidays, is not only celebrated by Chinese, but also by many other ethnic groups in Macao. People with different skin colors and languages jointly contribute to the joy of the holiday celebration.

As a community-centered society, Macao has witnessed a rapid growth of associations since the return. The current number of associations in Macao is about 10,000 compared to 1700 beforehand. These organizations not only serve the interests of local ethnic groups but also act as a bridge between government and residents. Their roles include public welfare, community management, social relief, and patriotic education.

The harmonious lifestyle is widely praised and has earned an excellent reputation for the city.

Diverse cultures and different ethnic groups coexist in Macao, as well as Hong Kong, which inevitably results in cultural shocks and frictions in terms of ideas, beliefs, customs and habits. The key to overcoming differences is to seek common ground and realize fruitful results. 

Harmony is one of the core concepts of traditional Chinese culture. There is also a Chinese saying that "everything flourishes in a harmonious family, while everything declines in a family filled with disputes." Unity and negotiation are supposed to overcome anything.

Conversely, self-centeredness will only lead to more disputes and turmoil which no society can afford no matter how solid its foundation.

From this perspective, what happened in Macao in the past two decades since its reunification has undoubtedly set an example of "harmony makes prosperity."

According to a poll, the top three core social values in Macao are the "one country, two systems" principle, the value of "loving the motherland, loving Macao," and the notion of "caring for society and people's livelihoods." This indicates that caring about society and people's livelihoods should not come before national interests. Any act that damages national interests and disrupts social order is unacceptable, no matter what the reason is. Therefore, patriotism is the foundation of a harmonious society. 

Public consensus is shaped by social management, community establishment, and cultural promotion. On the other hand, development is the key to solving the long-lasting discordant factors that originate from deep-seated contradictions.The development of the economy is always paired with social harmony. Only a developed economy and improved livelihood shall guarantee social order and cultural prosperity.