Firemen douse flames at the A-Ma Temple
The president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), Ung Vai Meng, and the head of the Cultural Heritage Department, Leong Wai Man, met representatives of the A-Ma Temple yesterday to discuss fire safety measures and restoration efforts for the temple, which went up in flames on Wednesday morning.
Together with representatives of the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau, the authorities conducted a preliminary inspection of the temple complex, eventually concluding that the damage to the temple was not serious or irreversible.
The statue of the Goddess A-Ma – the item with the most historical value in the pavilion – remains “in a state of integrity.” An altar and some wall-mounted plaques were damaged, as well as other wooden furnishings.
The IC estimates that restoration works will be completed within two or three months, but that the wooden items may take longer to replace. It will be at least a year before the entire temple returns to its former glory.
The IC will support the A-Ma Temple Charity Association for inventory inspections, as well as the removal and storage of damaged items.
The damaged main hall of the temple
The interior of the temple’s main hall was severely damaged in a fire that broke out in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The fire is believed to have been caused by malfunctioning electrical equipment in one of the temple’s pavilions. The pavilion in question has been closed until further notice. No individuals were harmed in the fire.
“The fire damaged one of the temples inside the A-Ma complex. Some plaques, altars, and furniture were burned,” Cheong Chi Van of the Fire Services Bureau told TDM.
“The fire was discovered by an attendee of the temple and he tried to extinguish it himself. Only after failing to do so did this person report the incident to the authorities, who reached the scene almost immediately,” Cheong added.
The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Alexis Tam, said on Wednesday that the government would spare no effort in conserving and, if possible, restoring the damaged relics.
Tam also pledged that the government would strengthen and promote safety measures in the city’s temples and heritage attractions, in order to prevent similar incidents in future.
This year’s government- backed safety campaign started on January 28, as the city’s temples usually receive an influx of visitors around the Chinese New Year period. According to a government statement, the Fire Services Bureau and the Cultural Affairs Bureau inspected a total of 20 temples.
The A-Ma Temple has been designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). According to local folklore, the temple was the source of inspiration for the naming of Macau when the first Portuguese sailors arrived in the 16th century. Staff reporter
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