Macau adds 12 new items to Intangible Cultural Heritage List

The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) has added 12 new items to Macau’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List, aiming to strengthen the protection and transmission of culturally meaningful practices.

The additions were approved on September 26 by the Secretary for Social and Cultural Affairs following public consultations and advice from the Cultural Heritage Council.

The newly inscribed items include traditional land worship customs (Tou Tei beliefs), dragon and lion dances, Portuguese folk dance, Chinese New Year and Dragon Boat Festival celebrations, Tai Chi, and culinary practices such as Portuguese egg tarts, almond cakes, traditional Chinese wedding pastries, and bamboo-noodle making.

Between December 2024 and January 2025, the IC conducted public consultations and collected 931 submissions, with widespread support for the new inclusions.

The Cultural Heritage Protection Law safeguards intangible cultural heritage through a two-tier system: a general inventory and a legally recognized list for high-value items.

Prior to the latest additions, 70 items had been included in the inventory, with the most significant practices progressively proposed for inclusion in the official list.

With the 12 new items, the list now contains 24 entries. The IC said it will continue to identify and protect intangible cultural heritage, encourage social participation, and promote intergenerational transmission.

Initiatives include designating protection units, recommending items for national recognition, monitoring preservation, and launching support and training programs such as the 2025 Intangible Cultural Heritage Youth Training Scheme and the Cultural Development Fund’s new heritage project support plan. LV