Macau celebrates 20th anniversary of UNESCO listing with series of activities

Macau is celebrating two decades of its historic center’s listing as part of UNESCO’s World Heritage with a series of activities from July to December this year.

The celebrations’ opening ceremony and the unveiling of the activities took place yesterday at the Dom Pedro V Theatre.

The series includes over 50 activities grouped into around 20 different items or topics. Among them are the launch of a commemorative postmark cancellation service, the “World Heritage Walk,” workshops, and others.

To celebrate the milestone, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) also launched a promotional video conveying the commitment to safeguarding cultural heritage and passing it on.

In her speech, the president of the IC, Deland Leong, said, “The ‘Historic Center of Macau,’ as a strategic and crucial hub of the Maritime Silk Road, opened the door to East-West cultural dialogue. For more than four centuries, Chinese and Western cultures have shone with mutual prominence and harmonious coexistence, where Lingnan temples stand side by side with Baroque churches, and Portuguese sidewalks wind between Chinese courtyards. Like a three-dimensional epic carved into the land, this heritage materializes a unique paradigm of peaceful coexistence and mutual enrichment between civilizations.”

She remarked that 20 years ago, “this cultural jewel, born of a unique history, was inscribed by UNESCO on the World Heritage List and became the first cultural ‘business card’ at a global level, allowing the world to recognize the territory’s unique position and exceptional contribution as a point of confluence of Eastern and Western cultures.”

She added that over the last 20 years, the government has been following the concept of developing and protecting world heritage by ensuring its “preservation and inheritance” and “innovative use.”

Leong claimed that the government’s efforts focus on revitalizing and enhancing heritage, educating young people, promoting social cohesion, and creating a cultural protection system that engages the entire population.

Atlas of architectural mapping

Also, as part of the celebrations, the IC officially launched the “Atlas of Architectural Mapping of the Historic Centre of Macau.”

The book uses mapping data, images, and textual descriptions to present the spatial texture, structural features, and decorative details of the 22 buildings and eight plazas of the World Heritage Site of Macau.

It also summarizes recent developments in the “Macau Historic Centre” and its architectural characteristics and decorations, as well as the blend of Chinese and Western elements.

International forum and documentary film

In December, the IC will hold an international forum on “Cultural Heritage Preservation,” inviting several leading experts from global cultural and related fields to Macau for a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary exchange of ideas. Concurrently, a documentary on the World Heritage site will be co-produced with China Central Television (CCTV) to highlight Macau’s role as a bridge between East and West and to create a platform for the exchange of civilizations and mutual understanding.

The IC’s dedicated webpage (www.icm.gov.mo/mhd20) provides more information on the range of activities planned to celebrate the 20th anniversary.

Milestone celebrations marred by UNESCO’s probe

The recent probe by the international organization has somewhat marred the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Macau’s UNESCO listing.

UNESCO has recently requested that local authorities provide a detailed report on the overpass construction linking Zones A and B of the new landfills. The organization is concerned that the construction may not comply with the guidelines for protecting world heritage.

This request was raised during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee, which is being held through today at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France. Last week, government representatives received the request in person while attending the meeting.

It is not the first time that UNESCO has intervened in matters related to heritage protection, especially when concerns have arisen about ongoing developments. Other recent cases involved projects at the Nam Van Lake area, which were said to potentially damage the view of Penha Hill Chapel, and construction at Guia Hill, which reportedly did not comply with the protection requirements for the Guia Lighthouse and Chapel.

On the sidelines of yesterday’s Dom Pedro V Theatre event, Leong acknowledged that UNESCO has called for a “Heritage Impact Assessment” that includes both the overpass between Zones A and B and the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) East Line project.

She explained that such requests are routine and standard procedures for major constructions in cities with listed heritage sites, and do not imply any wrongdoing by the government.

Regarding the Calçada do Gaio building, which has been criticized for potentially affecting the preservation of the Guia Hill heritage complex, Leong reaffirmed that amended design plans for the project have already been submitted to UNESCO and were approved according to the redesign. Rm