On the occasion of “China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day”, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) will host a series of special activities on Saturdays and Sundays in June, showcasing the unique appeal of traditional culture through an array of thematic workshops. The Guia Lighthouse, a World Heritage site, will be open to the public with free admission on the 8 and 9 June. In addition, free immersive sessions of the exhibition “Visiting the Ruins of St. Paul’s in Space and Time – Exhibition of Virtual Reality at the Ruins of St. Paul’s” will be available at a designated period in June, in a bid to enhance the public’s knowledge on Macao’s cultural heritage.
A number of workshops will be held at various cultural venues, from 1 June, including the “Seal Carving Workshop” at the Xian Xinghai Memorial Museum, the “24 Solar Terms Painting Workshop” at The House of Macao Literature, the “Bamboo Lamp Experience Workshop” at the Former Iec Long Firecracker Factory, the “Cyanotype Workshop” at the Ruins of St. Paul’s College, the “Tea Art Workshop” at the Lou Kau Mansion, and the “Cultural Heritage Sketching” at the Mount Fortress Garden, as well as workshops for families or children, including the “Hac Sa Archaeological Guided Tour and Family Workshop” at the Museum of Taipa and Coloane History, the “Workshop of Dragon Boat Festival Sachet Making” at the Macao Museum, and the workshops “Discover Our World Heritage – Sketching”, “Discover Our World Heritage – Toy Blocks” and the “World Heritage Cloth Book Workshop for Families” at the Mandarin’s House.
Between the 8 and 30 June, on Saturdays and Sundays, from 10am to 10:30am, as well, as on the 10 June, with the same functioning hours, there will be free immersive sessions available for the exhibition “Visiting the Ruins of St. Paul’s in Space and Time – Exhibition of Virtual Reality at the Ruins of St. Paul’s”, allowing the public to experience an interpretative conjecture of the Baroque architectural typology of the old Church of Matter Dei of St. Paul’s College and to feel, in an immersive manner, the magnificence of this architectural masterpiece, based on historical records spanning a period of four hundred years.
On the 8 and 9 June, the Guia Lighthouse will be especially open to the public from 10am to 5:30pm, allowing the public to visit and appreciate the beautiful views of the city from the top of the lighthouse, also enabling a better understanding about the history and function of the Lighthouse. The Macao Museum will also be open to residents and tourists with free admission, between 8 and 11 June, from 10am to 6pm.
In addition, the activities “Guided Tour of the Mount Fortress” and “Guided Family Tour of the Mount Fortress” will be held, respectively, on the 8 and 9 June at Mount Fortress. Guided tours will also be available at The House of Macao Literature, between 3pm and 4pm, on the 8 and 9 June, as well as in other various heritage sites, on Saturdays and Sundays.
Registration for the abovementioned workshops, exhibition and guided tours of Mount Fortress are already available through the “Activity Application” of the Macao One Account (activity.mo.gov.mo/activity-h5/activity-list-web). Admission is free and, in case the number of registrants in the workshops exceeds the maximum capacity numbers, participants will be selected by random draw. Registered and selected applicants are advised to arrive on time.
The designation of “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” was based on the previous designation of “Cultural Heritage Day”. According to the directive from the State Council of China, the “Cultural Heritage Day” has been celebrated annually on the second Saturday of June, since 2006. In 2017, the “Cultural Heritage Day” was renamed “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” with the aim of strengthening social awareness regarding the importance of safeguarding cultural and natural heritage.
For more information about the activities celebrating the “China’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Day”, please visit the website at www.icm.gov.mo/chdor follow IC’s official WeChat account “IC_Art_Macao” or “IC Art” page on Facebook.
