The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) has been actively promoting the digitalised display of cultural heritage and enriching the online tourism resources in Macao. Last year, IC presented the pilot project for online virtual tours of the “Guia Fortress” and the “Mandarin’s House”, which was well received by residents and tourists. This year, it has introduced online virtual reality tours for five more heritage sites, including the Ruins of the Church of Mater Dei (commonly known as the Ruins of St. Paul’s), the Old City Walls (Section at Calçada de S. Francisco Xavier), the Lou Kau Mansion, the Na Tcha Temple (next to the Ruins of St Paul’s), and IC’s Na Tcha Exhibition Room.

The virtual tours for the above-mentioned five heritage sites are available to the public from today onwards. The public may scan the QR code with their smart devices or visit IC Online Virtual Tours (VR) website ( https://vr.icm.gov.mo ). The online virtual tours feature two distinct online experiences, the “Interactive Scenic Area” and the “Interactive Exhibits”, which are offered in four languages, namely Cantonese, Mandarin, Portuguese and English. By clicking parts of the buildings and the exhibits, the viewers can browse the architectural details and observe high-definition photos of the exhibits, listen to audio tours and read the respective written explanations. Using a pair of VR glasses can also enhance visitors’ sensory experience of the online tours. The online virtual tours break through space and time limitations, enabling the public to visit Macao’s World Heritage online at any time and from anywhere. The public can enjoy a 360-degree tour of the scenic spots without leaving home and thus have a better remote touring experience of the World Heritage sites with innovative technologies.

IC will continue to actively promote the integration and development of cultural heritage resources with technology and research, and develop online virtual tours for more other World Heritage sites, in order to offer to the public other rich and interesting ways to experience the local cultural heritage.