The heretofore undisclosed purchase of the Chio Mansion was facilitated by the involvement of personal privacy protections, Leong Wai Man, president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), has recently said.
Located on a narrow alley near the Senado Square, the mansion was earlier secretly purchased by the IC. The move was only unearthed by the press when a parliamentary committee reviewing public spending discussed the purchase.
This was amidst many questions raised about the background of the mansion and the fashion in which the IC conducted the purchase.
Besides Leong citing personal privacy of the seller as the reason for non-disclosure, she also claimed that the Chio family, made up of generations of intellectuals, have made major contributions to Macau.
She stressed that the decision was made legally, backed with data collected by the IC’s Cultural Heritage Department. In addition, she pledged that more information will be disclosed at a latter date.
Meanwhile, on the preservation of the site of the former Iek Long Firecracker Factory, Leong disclosed that works have not yet commenced. For the time being, the bureau is clearing various objects from the site.
Once the renovation is concluded, the plot will have green spaces, tourist information counters, cafés and cultural facilities.
The main entrance to the site, when open to the public, will be located next to the entrance of the Chun Su Mei Parking Lot.
