NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC | Local culture and architecture featured on documentary

The St. Paul’s Church façade, built in 1602-1640, is one of the elements analyzed in the documentary to be aired by National Geographic

A documentary reflecting upon Macau’s architectural, urban and cultural heritage is due to be aired by National Geographic later this year, as a team recently visited the city to interview local experts and capture the MSAR’s charming heritage and landscape.
Architect Carlos Marreiros is among several Macau personalities and experts interviewed for the piece, he told the Times.
“I was asked to talk about heritage and heritage preservation; its past, present and future. And how different cultures met here in Macau, while reflecting upon Macau’s identity,” said Mr Marreiros.
The documentary, which is due to be aired in December, is hosted by freelance writer and editor Julian Davison. The piece is intended at portraying Macau beyond its glaring casinos, while reflecting upon the relation between the city’s old and modern elements.
Mr Marreiros said that other experts and personalities have been interviewed for the documentary, to speak on different subjects, including Patuá, a creole dialect that mixes Portuguese, Cantonese and Malay, among other languages.
“Regarding heritage I said that there’s a need to strike a balance, by implementing daring policies so that heritage could be vitally preserved,” he said.
The local architect recalled that we would need to look beyond Macau’s historic center, which has already been listed as UNESCO World Heritage, as there are more places and monuments worth noticing. “There’s more heritage beyond this protected area that is worth being listed, too. There are more pieces that should be recognized as well, including heritage from the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s…” he stressed.
Mr Marreiros said that the team filmed at the St Paul’s Ruins, perhaps Macau’s most iconic heritage site. More important than the imposing church’s architecture, he recalled, is how symbolic the building is. “The church is located beneath a little temple. Such harmony is one of the most moving images of Macau in my opinion,” he conceded.
The architect recalled that Macau’s architecture and urban planning has been influenced by two main civilizations: the Chinese and the Portuguese.
But other nations have also contributed to shape the city we live in today, he added. “The influences of Goa, in particular, and India in general… the influences of Sri Lanka, the Philippines, or Indonesia can be traced here as well, and even on Macau’s traditional gastronomy, or in the Patuá,” he said. The architect added that from Portugal came other European influences, too.
Mr Marreiros believes the territory needs stronger policies not only to protect its heritage but also to focus on its contemporary architectural elements. While interviewed for the documentary, he also stressed the need for Macau, the peninsula in particular, to retain its “relationship with the sea.”