On the occasion of the “China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” on 14 June, and with the aim of promoting traditional Chinese culture, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) will host a series of exciting activities dedicated to traditional Chinese culture at various cultural facilities in Macao. The Guia Lighthouse will be open to the public with free admission. Free experience sessions of the “Visiting the Ruins of St. Paul’s in Space and Time – Exhibition of Virtual Reality at the Ruins of St. Paul’s” will be available, in a bid to enhance the public’s knowledge of Macao’s cultural heritage and showcase the cultural appeal of Macao as a “Culture City of East Asia”.

A number of workshops will be held at cultural facilities from 14 June, including the “Chinese Fan Calligraphy Workshop” at the House of Macao Literature, the “Shandan Pyrography” and “Hezhou Egg Craving” at the Zheng Guanying Memorial Museum, the “Ceramic Painting Workshop” at the Mandarin’s House, the “Mother-of-Pearl Lacquer Workshop” at the Centre of Preservation and Transmission for Cultural Heritage of the Palace Museum, and the “Rare Book Restoration Workshop” at the Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, with some sessions for seniors available. In addition, workshops for families or children will be available, including the “Lanzhou Gourd Carving” at the Zheng Guanying Memorial Museum, the “Straw Painting” at the Xian Xinghai Memorial Museum, the “Mini Lou Kau Mansion-Succulent Plant Workshop” at the Lou Kau Mansion, and the “Silver Clay Craft Experience Workshop” at the Guia Fortress. Registration for the abovementioned workshops will be made available through the “Activity Application” of the Macao One Account (activity.mo.gov.mo/activity-h5/activity-list-web) from 15 May. Admission is free. If the number of registrants in the workshops exceeds the maximum number of participants, participants will be selected by drawing lots.

On 14 and 15 June, the Guia Lighthouse will be especially open to the public from 10am to 5:30pm with free admission, allowing the public to visit and appreciate the beautiful view from the top of the lighthouse. The “Visiting the Ruins of St. Paul’s in Space and Time – Exhibition of Virtual Reality at the Ruins of St. Paul’s” will be open from 1 to 29 June. During the exhibition period, free experience sessions will be available from 10am to 10:30am on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition, guided tours of the Senado Library will be held this year. Residents can register through the Macao One Account from 10am on 28 May. If the number of registrants exceeds the maximum number of participants, participants will be selected by drawing lots. Guided tours will also be available at various cultural facilities on Saturdays and Sundays, and on-site registration is open.

Moreover, the exhibition “Gems from Kilns: Shiwan Ceramics from the Macao Museum of Art Collection” is held at the Macao Museum of Art until 7 October. The “Genesis and Spirit - Showcase of Gansu Intangible Cultural Heritage” will be held from 14 June to 13 July at the Macao Museum . The “Genesis and Spirit - Performance of Gansu Intangible Cultural Heritage” will be held on 15 and 16 June at the Senado Square and the Iao Hon Market Garden respectively.

The “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” originates from the former designation of “Cultural Heritage Day”. According to the directive from the State Council of China, the “Cultural Heritage Day” has been celebrated annually on the second Saturday of June since 2006. In 2017, the “Cultural Heritage Day” was renamed “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” with the aim of strengthening public awareness of the importance of safeguarding cultural and natural heritage.

For more information about the activities celebrating the “China Cultural and Natural Heritage Day”, please visit the website at www.icm.gov.mo/chd or follow IC’s official WeChat account “IC_Art_Macao” and “IC Art” page on Facebook.