Draft regulation sets list of 400 movable heritage items

The Executive Council yesterday announced that it has completed drafting regulations to formally classify a first batch of culturally significant movable objects in the city.

This follows a public consultation conducted from December 4, 2024, to January 2, 2025, and consultations with the Cultural Heritage Council.

Wong Sio Chak, Secretary for Administration and Justice, and Deland Leong, president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), jointly confirmed the conclusion of discussions on the administrative regulation titled “Classification of the 1st Group of Movable Properties.”

Their announcement aligns with the Cultural Heritage Protection Law (Law No. 11/2013), which mandates that movable assets deemed culturally significant and held by public services undergo official classification.

The law assigns the IC the role of initiating the classification process. Its purpose is to ensure proper treatment, conservation, restoration, and secure storage of these items. This legal framework also aims to prevent deterioration, diversion, or loss caused by natural wear or human actions, and to promote the use of these objects for research, exhibitions, and educational activities.

The initial batch consists of 400 movable assets and encompasses 24 categories, ranging from archaeological specimens and religious items to porcelain, ceramics, calligraphy, sculptures, textiles, maps, rare books, official documents, photographs, and handcrafted fans.

The IC president said at yesterday’s press briefing, “The first batch of movable property assessed were items recognized as having value,” also noting that institutions under the bureau’s jurisdiction, including the Macao Museum of Art, Archives, and Library, “possess numerous valuable collections and documents.”

The new regulation will come into effect the day after its publication in the Official Gazette (BO).