IC U-turns on preserving 200-year-old customs checkpoint

After waving away concerns over the historic values of No 5-7 Pátio do Amparo raised at an earlier Urban Planning Committee plenary, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) has done a U-turn and pledged to conduct further studies on the site, Mok Ian Ian, president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau said.
At the concerned Urban Planning Committee plenary, member Lui Chak Keong reiterated that there is scientific data to prove the historic values of the site. Given that the site was a customs checkpoint, he even stressed that it is a prominent resource for national education because it is symbolic to China’s sovereignty on Macau.
The scientific data Lui mentioned is an antique map made by Portuguese military engineer Ozorio in 1831, which was purchased by the Macau University of Science and Technology in 2017. The map shows that the current site falls within the area of the old customs checkpoint.
Even so, IC vice president Leong Wai Man turned down Lui’s recommendation to conduct further studies, adding that the site “has no obvious archeological values.”
Over the weekend, the IC president announced the revoking of its decision and pledged to conduct further studies on the matter. Moreover, the draft development plan for the site has also been put on hold.
Mok added that previous studies of the site had not shown sufficient historic values to preserve the site.
Proving the site to be an antique customs checkpoint will very likely qualify the site as a national relic. AL