10 years after unesco listing | Report grills gov’t over heritage neglect

The New Macau Association (ANM) will be submitting a report to UNESCO this week claiming that the government has failed to protect the city’s cultural heritage against threats triggered by urban development projects.
As Macau celebrates the tenth anniversary of its cultural heritage being listed as UNESCO World Heritage, the association has criticized the government for its “limited representations” of the historic buildings’ preservation.
ANM stressed that the authorities have failed to take action while the safety of the city’s cultural heritage sites is threatened by further urban development.
“We told the government to take serious steps. It is their duty to not only preserve the existence of the heritage, but to make it viable too, [allowing it] to have a relationship with the community and show the world its value,” New Macau’s Scott Chiang said.
ANM recalled, for instance, the intrusion of the new headquarters of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government, which is located at Guia’s foothill and obstructs the view of the hill’s outline.
Furthermore, members of ANM added that Penha Hill’s outline might be in danger too, as higher residential structures are planned for the new reclaimed land Zone B.