Cheong Chi Fong
CULTURE
A monumental birthday Macao has just marked the 15th anniversary of the inscription of its Historic Centre on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The government, as well as many citizens, have worked tirelessly to protect the city’s historic heritage but there’s still plenty to do over the coming years. Text Cláudia Aranda
O
n 15 July 2005, Macao received one of the biggest boosts it could ever get to its status as a regional tourism hub. On that day, the Historic Centre of Macao was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List – a list reserved for some of the globe’s most important sites of cultural, historical or scientific significance. It was a day of celebration, marking the Macao government’s tireless work in preserving and promoting a site that not only includes fascinating old buildings and monuments like the Ruins of St Paul’s, the A-Ma Temple and Mount Fortress but also attracts millions of tourists to the city every year. Fifteen years on and the government – along with the people
in Macao – has just celebrated an important milestone with a series of activities throughout July and the beginning of August, conveying the concept of ‘Appreciating Our World Heritage Together’. The 15th anniversary of the inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List was marked by a weekend event called the World Heritage Open Day, as well as a WeChat game, for the public to appreciate the Historic Centre of Macao. Residents from across the city flocked to the World Heritage Youth Education Base, located in the Mandarin’s House and Lilau Square, to take part in history-related activities, thematic exhibitions and special workshops, as well as to watch song and dance performances and buy cultural products.
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