MACAO CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF HISTORIC CENTRE OF MACAO ON WORLD HERITAGE LIST WITH EXCITING ACTIVITIES AND NEW ATTRACTIONS

KEE@FSWMAG.COM

Commemorative activities of the 10^th anniversary of the inscription of “The Historic Centre of Macao” on World Heritage List

　　In order to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the inscription of “The Historic Centre of Macao” on World Heritage List, the Cultural Affairs Bureau promotes, together with several entities, a series of activities, which include new historic and cultural facilities in operation, exhibitions, a seminar and new publications, cultural performances, and highlighted activities, in a total of 35 events. 

These activities are aimed at building an effective platform of cooperation, allowing the local population and visitors to celebrate the inscription of “The Historic Centre of Macao” on the World Heritage List through different cultural activities, hoping to raise every social sector’s awareness to the protection and transmission of cultural heritage and promoting its universal values.

Opening of new historic and cultural facilities; building’s revitalization and repurposing for daily life.

　　Starting from June, several new and renovated historic and cultural facilities will enter into operation. The existing information point at Guia Fortress (including the Guia Chapel and Lighthouse) will be converted into the “Guia Fortress Information Centre”, opening at the end of June and featuring a brief introduction on the history of the Guia Fortress, including respective building models, and also a retrospective of the restoration works of Our Lady of Guia paintings. 

The Lu Ban Carpentry Exhibition will open to the public in July displaying, in an interactive and interesting way, over 70 traditional carpentry tools and housing components, in addition to a multimedia presentation on the Macao Carpentry Trade Union. 

The Jao Tsung-I Academy, scheduled to open in August, holds a permanent exhibition of Professor Jao Tsung-I painting and calligraphy donations as well as a collection of works and a catalogue of his works, also featuring an auditorium and a gallery for other themed exhibitions, aiming at promoting Chinese culture and arts as well as academic exchange on Chinese studies related topics. 

The Cinematheque．Passion, which will be in trial operation from September, is a multi-purpose space that features an art cinema and a film documentation room, whose mission is to organise local film resources, to create a creative atmosphere of local filmmaking, to broaden the local sector’s horizons as well as to establish international exchange networks. 

As a unique witness to the profession of night-watchmen in Macao, the Patane Night Watch House will open to the public in the second half of this year, hosting an exhibition about the work of Macao’s former night watchmen, giving residents a glimpse of those bygone days. 

The opening of historic and cultural facilities as well as the revitalization and repurposing of historical buildings reflect the importance of protection works of Macao’s heritage.

Varied exhibitions share heritage protection achievements

　　This series of activities include several exhibitions. In order to commemorate the 2015 China Cultural Heritage Day, “Genesis and Spirit－Showcase of Henan Province Intangible Cultural Heritage” will reveal the charm of Henan Province’s intangible cultural heritage. 

"The 10^th Anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao as World Heritage － Exhibition on the achievements in safeguarding the cultural heritage in Macao" will exhibit the results of the protection works of Macao’s cultural heritage carried out in the past 10 years. 

For the first time, exhibitions that unite with major sports events will be held, such as the Macao International Dragon Boat Races and the Macau International Marathon, introducing the charm of the Historic Centre of Macao to the public. Another exhibition will be “Global Mapping of Macao”, revealing Macao’s role in the cultural exchange between the East and the West through excellent reproductions of ancient maps from all over the world.

Academic seminar on protection; other activities count on the participation of the whole population

　　On occasion of the10^th anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao as World Heritage and in order to promote studies on the Historic Centre of Macao and the protection of the city’s cultural heritage, local and foreign experts have been invited to participate in the “International Academic Seminar on the Conservation of the Cultural Heritage”. 

Several works related to Macao’s cultural heritage and its protection will also be published, such as “Historic Centre of Macao”, “Retrospective of the Protection Works on the 10^th Anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao as World Heritage”, “Book Series of Macao Cultural Heritage”,  “Poems by Zheng Guangying”, a special edition of the Review of Culture on the 10^th Anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao as World Heritage and “Photo Album on the Historic Centre of Macao”, exploring in depth the cultural meaning of World Heritage and introducing Macao’s valuable cultural resources and the achievements attained in its preservation.

            

In addition, the Macao Orchestra, the Macao Chinese Orchestra and the Macao Conservatory’s Schools of Music and Theatre present several performances at World Heritage sites, allowing citizens to experience the harmonious symbiosis between heritage and art. Scheduled activities further include the “Cultural Heritage’s Connection to the Future” Lectures, which will take place in schools and aim to arouse student’s interest in cultural heritage. 

In order to contribute to the festive atmosphere, activities open to the whole population will take place, namely the “10^th anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao as World Heritage－WeChat Prize for World Heritage Outlook”, a “Cultural Heritage In-depth Guided Tour” destined for Macao tourists and the Macao Post stamp edition “The Historic Centre of Macao”, thereby allowing local citizens and visitors to experience the joy of the 10^th anniversary of the inscription of The Historic Centre of Macao on World Heritage List.

            The “Commemorative Activities of the 10^th Anniversary of the Inscription of The Historic Centre of Macao on World Heritage List” are organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the P.R.C., the People’s Government of Henan Province, the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao S.A.R. Government, State Administration of Cultural Heritage of the P.R.C., the Bureau for External Cultural Relations and Office for Culture Affairs with the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Regions of the Ministry of Culture of the P.R.C, the Department of Culture of Henan Province, the Macau Government Tourist Office, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Macao Sport Development Board, the Macao Post, the Centre for Macau Studies of the University of Macau, the Macau University of Science and Technology, the Shanghai Library, the Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, the Bank of China – Macau Branch, the newspaper Macau Daily News, the Galaxy Macau^TM, the Macao Carpentry Trade Union, the Tu Tei Mio Patane Mercy and Charity Association, Gray Line Tours Macau Limited and the Macao Heritage Ambassadors Association, among other entities.

Present at the Press Conference, held at the Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre on 10 July at 12: 00pm, were President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government, Ung Vai Meng; Vice-Director of the Department of Culture of Henan Province, Kang Jie; Chief of Division of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Department of Culture of Henan Province, Liu Chunxiao; Director of the Macao Government Tourist Office of the Macao S.A.R. Government, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; President of the Sport Development Board of the Macao S.A.R. Government, José Maria da Fonseca Tavares; President of the Macau Postal Services of the Macao S.A.R. Government, Lau Wai Meng; Vice President of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government, Kuok Sio Lai; Acting Chief of the Department of Cultural Heritage of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government, Leong Wai Man; Academic Director of Center for Macau Studies of the University of Macau, Lin Guangzhi; Director of the Macau University of Science and Technology Library, Dai Longji; Assistant Director of the Bank of China, Macau Branch, Jiang Kuiwei; General Director of the Macau Daily News, Wan Nang Hon; Senior Manager of Corporate and Community Relations – Public Relations, Galaxy Entertainment Group, Catherine Iu; Managing Director of Gray Line Tours of Macau, Limited, Wu Keng Kuong; President of the Macau Seong Ká Môk Ngai Association, Choi Hong and President of the Macao Heritage Ambassadors Association, Liu Ka Hou.

            For more information on these activities, please visit the webpage www.icm.gov.mo/mhd10.