Council says lightning rod installation at Ruins of St. Paul’s reversible

The Cultural Heritage Council held its fourth plenary meeting of the year yesterday, focusing on safeguarding Macau’s intangible cultural heritage and addressing public concerns over recent interventions at the Ruins of St. Paul’s.

The closed-door session, chaired by Deland Leong, president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), reviewed key applications and strategies related to the city’s cultural identity.

Following the meeting, Leong and council member Wu Chou Kit briefed reporters, outlining the main discussion points.

During the meeting, councilors were updated on the progress of the 19 applications seeking recognition on the intangible cultural heritage list. These applications span religious and folk practices and culinary projects.

The council was also informed about the ongoing public consultation process for listing new intangible cultural heritage items and the work of the first appraisal group tasked with classifying Macau’s movable assets.

Priority issues around exercising rights over these appraised assets were also reviewed.

Leong stressed the bureau’s commitment to encouraging communities and entities that practice these cultural activities to apply for protection.

She said the IC would soon conduct a comprehensive analysis of the submissions, with successful candidates to be officially announced in the Government Gazette (BO).

This procedure aligns with Article 5 of the “Guidelines for the Management of Intangible Cultural Heritage,” promulgated under Order No. 85/2022 by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture.

The meeting also touched on the lightning rod recently installed at the Ruins of St. Paul’s, a move that has sparked debate among locals concerned about its impact on the historic site’s visual integrity.

Leong acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue and revealed that multiple design firms had been invited to submit proposals. “After reviewing and consulting, we do not want any invasive installation,” she said.

“We also need to consider the safety of cultural relics, so we need to balance all aspects,” she explained, adding that the current design is reversible, leaving open the possibility of future modifications if a better solution is found.