To celebrate the Chinese New Year with residents and tourists, a number of venues under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) will remain open during the Spring Festival, and appropriate arrangements will be made to ensure the anti-epidemic guidelines are strictly adhered. Amid the spring blossoming and the festive atmosphere, IC invites the public to enjoy the beauty of culture together and wish the world peace and prosperity in the Lunar New Year of the Ox.

Cultural facilities across the city have been adorned with joyous decorations, and the World Heritage buildings have been animated with festive elements to celebrate the Lunar New Year with the public. Residents are welcome to visit various cultural exhibitions currently presented during the Spring Festival, including “Stately Demeanour: Costumes of Qing Emperors and Empresses from the Collection of the Palace Museum”, an annual exhibition from the Palace Museum hosted by the Macao Museum of Art which showcases the magnificence and diverse development of the Chinese costume culture; “Rebirth in the Spring Breeze: Art Exhibition of He Duoling”, which reveals the artist’s ethereal and poetic aesthetic conception; “Wandering across the Landscape: Collection of the Macao Museum of Art”, which displays the picturesque landscape of Macao between the 17^th and 21^st centuries; and “Memory of the Past – Exhibition of the Macao Museum Postcards Collection”, which takes visitors on a journey to experience Macao in the old times, featuring scenes such as its coastal scenery, elegant architecture and lush gardens. The new exhibition “Pátio Memories – Exhibition of Life in Pátios and Becos in the Bygone Days” is held at No. 10, Pátio da Eterna Felicidade from 7 February to present the daily lives of residents in pátios and becos in the past through illustrations, videos and photographs in a diverse and interesting way and reveal the culture and customs of people living in pátios and becos in bygone days.

World Heritage buildings are also brimming with festive spirit. The “Interactive Exhibition of the Historic Centre of Macao” is held at the Mandarin’s House to present the different stages of the World Heritage application, the outstanding universal value and components of the Historic Centre of Macao through interactive means, and to promote the invaluable significance of World Heritage through sensory interactive games and family spaces. The concert “Music in Art Museum” will be presented by Macao Orchestra on 20 February, at 2:30pm. All are welcome to participate.

A number of venues will be open as usual during the Spring Festival, including the Macao Museum, the Macao Museum of Art, the Mandarin’s House, the Lou Kau Mansion, the Zheng Guanying Memorial Museum, the Treasure of Sacred Art of St. Joseph’s Seminary, the Former Residence of General Ye Ting, the Handover Gifts Museum of Macao, the Jao Tsung-I Academy, the Museum of Taipa and Coloane History, the Taipa Houses, the Xian Xinghai Memorial Museum, the Heritage Exhibition of a Traditional Pawnshop Business and the Dom Pedro V Theatre. All branch libraries of the Macao Public Library, except for the Red Market Library, will be closed from the first to the third day of the Lunar New Year.

IC will strictly follow the related anti-epidemic guidelines of the health authorities and implement appropriate measures for the cultural activities. All participants must wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks, present a valid Macao Health Code of the day, and comply with the crowd control measures. For more information about the cultural facilities, exhibitions and activities during the Spring Festival, please visit IC’s website at www.icm.gov.mo, the official WeChat account “IC_Art_Macao”, or the “IC Art” page on Facebook.