In order to showcase the achievements of the restoration, use and revitalisation of heritage buildings to the public, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will present the exhibition “Pátio Memories – Exhibition of Life in Pátios and Becos in the Bygone Days” at Pátio da Eterna Felicidade, allowing the public to experience the life of Macao people in the bygone days and deepen their understanding of the architectural and spatial characteristics of the buildings. The opening ceremony of the exhibition will be held on 6 February (Saturday), at 3pm. With the restoration work on the exterior façade of the buildings at No. 8 and No. 10, Pátio da Eterna Felicidade completed and the outdoor space at No. 14, Pátio da Eterna Felicidade opened, visitors can appreciate the architectural appearance of the Pátio da Eterna Felicidade.

Currently there are nearly 200 streets named “pátio” or “beco” in Macao. Among them, the Pátio da Eterna Felicidade is one of the largest pátios and has been better preserved. It features traditional Chinese residential buildings of varying heights but in a coherent style, showing the distinctive characteristics of pátios. This exhibition will present the daily lives of residents in pátios in the past through illustrations, videos and photographs in a diverse and interesting way, themed on three essential aspects in our lives – “food”, “lifestyle” and “playtime”, revealing the culture and customs of people living in pátios and becos in bygone days. In collaboration with local illustrator Un Chi Wai, the exhibition features a variety of scenes and characters inspired by the life in pátios and becos, making it a lively and interesting experience for the public.

In order to enhance the exhibition with interactive elements and deepen the public’s understanding of its contents, as well as to promote the transmission and conservation of local history and culture, the Zero Distance Cooperative was invited to host the activity “Storytelling” designed for families in various sessions from February to March this year, telling stories about Macao through interactive theatre. Two sessions of this activity, conducted in Cantonese, will be held on 7 February at 3:30pm and 4:30pm, respectively, at Pátio da Eterna Felicidade, with a capacity of 10 pairs of parents and children. Admission is free. Interested parties are welcome to register from today until 6pm on 4 February through the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s Activities Registration System at www.icm.gov.mo/eform/event. If the number of registrants exceeds the maximum number of participants, participants will be selected at random. Successful applicants will be notified by SMS. During the event, demonstrations on making traditional snacks and tutorials of traditional games will be held and participants can receive traditional snacks or gifts.

In the future, the Cultural Affairs Bureau will make use of the open space near Pátio da Eterna Felicidade to organise thematic activities related to the culture of pátios and becos from time to time, and will continue to carry out reinforcement and restoration works, striving to complete the revitalisation plan for the area as soon as possible and develop it into a future cultural and leisure area. “Pátio Memories – Exhibition of Life in Pátios and Becos in the Bygone Days” will be held from 7 February at No. 10, Pátio da Eterna Felicidade, and is open from 10am to 7pm, including on public holidays. Admission is free. For enquiries about the exhibition, please contact IC through tel. no. 8988 4000 during office hours or visit the Cultural Affairs Bureau’s website at www.icm.gov.mo.