Organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), co-organised by the Municipal Affairs Bureau and the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau, the Opening Ceremony of the “20^th Anniversary of the Inscription of the Historic Centre of Macao on the World Heritage List” was held today (15 July) at the Dom Pedro V Theatre, kicking off a series of commemorative activities to celebrate the milestone of 20 years of the local World Heritage throughout the entire city.

The opening ceremony was officiated by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, O Lam; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Zhang Yingjie; the Deputy Director and Secretary General of the Organising Committee of the 15^th National Games of the People’s Republic of China, the Director of the Executive Committee of the National Games in Guangdong, the Member of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Municipal People’s Congress, and the Deputy Director of the United Front Work Department, Wang Xi; the Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Sun Xiangyang; the Director of the Fourth Bureau of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Chen Wei; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Leong Wai Man; the Director of Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Lau Wai Meng; and the Chairman of the Administration Committee on Municipal Affairs of the Municipal Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Chao Wai Ieng; who attended the significant milestone event of the 20^th anniversary of the inscription of the “Historic Centre of Macao” on the World Heritage List.

The Director of the China Cultural Relics Academy and Director of the Academic Committee of the Palace Museum, Shan Jixiang, offered his congratulations for the 20^th Anniversary of the Inscription of the Historic Centre of Macao on the World Heritage List” via video. The President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man, said in her speech at the opening ceremony that the “Historic Centre of Macao” is an important node on the Maritime Silk Road and has opened the golden gate for cultural exchanges between the East and the West, also stating that the Macao SAR Government has always understood and cherished the concept and spirit of cultural heritage protection, and has worked well together with all social sectors on the “preservation and transmission” and “innovation and utilisation” of cultural heritage, continuously opening a new chapter in the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Western civilisations in Macao.

The series of activities celebrating the 20^th anniversary of the inscription of the “Historic Centre of Macao” on the World Heritage List will be launched successively from July until December of the current year, featuring a total of approximately 20 elaborate activities in more than 50 sessions in total. During the opening ceremony, the Director of the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau, Lau Wai Meng, and the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man jointly hosted the launching ceremony of the “Philatelic Products of the 20^th Anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macao as World Heritage”. In addition, the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man, hosted the opening ceremony of the “World Heritage Exploration Study Tour” in a lively atmosphere. On the same day, IC also launched a promotional video to celebrate the 20^th anniversary of the inscription of the “Historic Centre of Macao” on the World Heritage List, broadly sharing the importance of preservation and transmission of cultural heritage.

Official launch of the new publication Measured Drawings of the “Historic Centre of Macao”

On 15 July, a significant day to celebrate the inscription of the “Historic Centre of Macao” on the World Heritage List, IC launched the publication Measured Drawings of the “Historic Centre of Macao”, which vividly presents the rigorous survey of the 22 Macao’s World Heritage buildings and 8 squares based on precise mapping data, rich images and descriptive texts. This new publication also presents the results of the architectural survey of the “Historic Centre of Macao” in more recent years, enabling further dissemination of Macao’s architectural heritage featuring characteristics of both Chinese and Western cultures. On the same day, IC distributed memos dedicated to the World Heritage to the public at the Senado Square and the Dom Pedro V Theatre, celebrating the 20^th anniversary of the inscription of the “Historic Centre of Macao” on the World Heritage List.

International forum and large documentary film to promote cultural exchange and mutual learning between civilisations

In December of the current year, IC will host the “International Cultural Forum of Mutual Learning between Civilisations” under the theme “Cultural Heritage Protection”, inviting various prominent international figures from the cultural and related fields to hold an intercultural and cross-disciplinary event for mutual learning and exchange of ideas among civilisations. Furthermore, IC will collaborate with the China Media Group to produce a large documentary film which will highlight Macao’s important role as a bridge between Chinese and Western cultures, strengthening the international promotion of Chinese culture, telling stories of China and Macao, thereby establishing Macao as a vital window for exchange between Chinese and Western civilisations.

The Series of Activities of the “20^th Anniversary of the Inscription of the Historic Centre of Macao on the World Heritage List” is organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, co-organised by the Municipal Affairs Bureau and the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau, with the support of other entities managing the local World Heritage sites and private owners of classified properties.

For more information about the activities related to the 20^th anniversary of the inscription of the “Historic Centre of Macao” on the World Heritage List, please visit the thematic website (www.icm.gov.mo/mhd20), follow the official WeChat account “IC_Art_Macao” or the “IC Art” page on Facebook. For further enquiries, please call 2836 6320 during office hours.

The opening ceremony of the celebrations was also attended by the Acting Chief of the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Leong Veng Hang; the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the President of the Administrative Committee of the Cultural Development Fund, Cheong Kin Hong; the Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau, Kong Chi Meng; the Director of the Public Assets Supervision and Administration Bureau, Chan Hoi Fan; the Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Bai Bing; the representative of  the Marine and Water Bureau, Sit Kai Sin; representatives of the Guangdong Provincial Government, members of the Cultural Development Consultative Committee and members of the Cultural Heritage Council, as well as representatives of other entities managing Macao’s World Heritage sites, including organisations related to cultural heritage and other connected fields, as well as the participation of several associations.