First GBA Cultural Heritage Forum starts in Macau

On The Agenda

The first Greater Bay Area (GBA) Cultural Heritage Forum began yesterday

The Forum invited experts from Macau, Hong Kong, and Guangdong province to discuss topics such as the integration and sharing of cultural heritage in the GBA.

It also invited experts, scholars, and practitioners in the field of cultural heritage from China and abroad to discuss six major topics.

There will also be discussion about the connections and value of cultural heritage in the GBA, adaptive reuse concepts and practices for heritage buildings, the use of technology in archaeology, the resources of the “revolutionary cultural relics,” and exchanges about the Maritime Silk Road and cultural heritage, as well as the sharing of practical experiences and research results.

The Forum comes after a memorandum of understanding signed between the three sides in 2022 to hold a Forum regularly with the cities taking turns on its organization.

The Forum has the patronage of the National and Cultural Administration of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Macau’s Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture.

It was jointly organized by Macau’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province and the Development Bureau of the government of Hong Kong being supported by MGM China Holdings Limited.

Cultural Heritage Tour Trail website launched

Besides the Forum, organizers yesterday launched for the first time a website titled “GBA Cultural Heritage Tour Trail.”

The website includes some 99 cultural heritage buildings from Macau, Hong Kong and the different cities in the Guangdong province.

It collates the results of an archeological collaboration between the three sides.

It includes the GBA educational theme trail, which features educational historical buildings to allow the audience to gain an in-depth understanding of the historical significance of the buildings through text, photos and audio guides.

Organizers said the platform will be improved, with more diverse types of content to be added.

CCM exhibits national culture in historical buildings

Alongside the Forum, which is taking place at the Small Auditorium of the Macao Cultural Centre (CCM), the CCM is also hosting an exhibition at the ART Space titled “Shared Roots and Interconnected Branches: The Importance of National Culture and Sentiment within the heart of Macau’s Historical Buildings.”

The exhibition features a series of elements that depict the city’s diverse cultural coexistence alongside the legacy of Chinese historical buildings and culture.

Beyond the sites’ historical and cultural value, there is also information about how the sites over the years have served as venues for intangible cultural heritage activities that are integrated into the daily lives of local residents.

The exhibition features many buildings including the Mandarin House, General Ye Ting’s Former Residence, as well as buildings such as Kiang Wu Hospital, Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society and Kun Iam Tong.
It includes posters, newspaper clippings, historical documents and other relics that provide proof of the uses and activities hosted by them. By Renato Marques, MDT