Palace Museum opens new cultural heritage center

To strengthen the preservation, restoration, and promotion of Macau’s cultural heritage, the Centre of Preservation and Transmission for Cultural Heritage of the Palace Museum was officially inaugurated yesterday.

The joint venture between the government and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China aims to establish Macau as a “base for exchange and cooperation with Chinese culture as the mainstream and the coexistence of different cultures.”

The inauguration ceremony was jointly hosted by Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng and the director of the Palace Museum, Wang Xudong.

The new center, located on the ground floor of the Macao Museum of Art, covers nearly 900 square meters and is equipped with specialized laboratories for the restoration of cultural heritage. It will focus on the preservation and restoration of Macau’s World Heritage sites, classified immovable properties, and components of cultural heritage buildings.

The center will also work to elevate the standard of safeguarding cultural heritage through advanced technology and cultivate local talent in the field of restoration.

“This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region, which endow the grand opening of the Centre with particular significance,” said Deland Leong, director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau.

She emphasized the city’s unique architectural heritage as “a vivid microcosm of over 400 years of multicultural exchanges, mutual learning, harmony, and friendly coexistence,” and a critical foundation for Macau’s development as a “base of exchange and cooperation for promoting multicultural coexistence with a pre-eminence of Chinese culture.”

Coinciding with the inauguration, the “Forbidden City Architecture Conservation Exhibition” was also launched at the center, showcasing the country’s cutting-edge technologies and achievements in architectural heritage preservation.

The center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with free admission for residents and tourists. Victoria Chan