The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) will successively reopen several heritage sites, cultural and creative spaces and museums from 16 March (Monday), and will implement various crowd control measures to limit the number of visitors, in order to prevent the risk of novel coronavirus infection.

Several public libraries and museums under the auspices of IC have been reopened to the public since the beginning of March. Starting from 16 March, IC will successively reopen several cultural facilities, including World Heritage sites such as  Mandarin’s House (only the ground floor and Gift Shop will be open to the public), the Ruins of St. Paul’s (only the Largo da Companhia de Jesus will be open to the public), the Guia Fortress (only the outdoor space will be open to the public), the Tap Seac Gallery, the Mount Fortress Corridor and the Xian Xinghai Memorial Museum. The Lou Kau Mansion (only the ground floor will be open to the public), the Taipa Houses (including the Macanese Living Museum, Nostalgic House and Exhibitions Gallery), the Museum of Taipa and Coloane History and the Handover Gifts Museum of Macao, as well as the cultural space such as the Macao Fashion Gallery will reopen from 17 March. All guided tours, workshops and talks held at the cultural facilities are suspended.

In addition, various renovation and enhancement works are currently carried out in some cultural facilities, improving the conditions for future maintenance and visits, implementing the measure “Welfare-to-Work” of the SAR Government, and minimizing the influence to visitors. Currently, the cultural facilities under construction include the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt, the Treasure of Sacred Art of the St. Dominic’s Church and General Ye Ting’s Former Residence.

In order to cooperate with the preventive measures, various crowd control measures will be implemented in the cultural facilities to limit the number of visitors. IC has strengthened the cleaning and disinfection in all facilities before its opening. Members of the public must wear their own face masks, take body temperature and present the health declaration before entering the facilities, as well as cooperate with the crowd control measures on-site.

Some of the cultural facilities will remain closed due to the space conditions. The reopening date of such facilities will be announced in due course. For updates, please visit IC’s website at www.icm.gov.mo, its official WeChat account “ICMacao” or “IC Art” page on Facebook.

Annex: Arrangements on the opening of the cultural facilities of the Cultural Affairs Bureau