In response to this year’s International Museum Day, eighteen Macao museums participate in the opening ceremony of the “2015 Macao International Museum Day Carnival” on 17 May, Sunday, at 3pm, in the A-Má Temple square. Present at the opening ceremony were Acting Vice-President of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Chan Peng Fai; Assistant Director of Leisure and Cultural Services of Hong Kong SAR, Chan Shing Wai; Sub-Director of the Guangdong Museum, Chen Shaofeng; Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; Director of the Macao Post Lau Wai Meng, President of Macao Science Center, Lau Si Io; Chief-assistant of Fire Services, Ng Ka Wai; Acting Director of the Maritime Museum, Chan I Un; Head of the Division of Cultural Facilities of IACM, Loi Chi Pang; President of the Lin Fung Temple Association, Kong Su Kan; Vice President of the Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society; Lei Kit Heng; Assistant Director of Dr. Sun Iat Sen Memorial House in Macau, Lin Chia-Che; Director of the Chinese Opera Association of the Terrestrial and Maritime Dwellers of Barra, Macau, Chan Kin Chun. Representatives from 29 local cultural institutions in Guangdong Province and 20 museums under the Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau are invited to participate in this activity.
The activities obey to three main principles, namely “entering the communities, open spaces and local themes”. The “Mobile Museum – A-Má Bamboo Theatre” is one of the highlights of the programme, gathering exhibitions, performances, workshops and lectures, in an innovative and content-rich format. It is one of the commemorative activities of the 10th anniversary of Macau’s heritage inscription and is open to the public.
The swift development of Macao poses a serious challenge to cultural preservation, and how to pass on and ensure the sustainability of heritage and intangible heritage is a concern for the population as well as for Macao museums. The Acting Vice-President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Chan Peng Fai, declared in his speech that, taking the ancient celebration of “A-Má Festivities and Opera for Deities” as medium and through thematic exhibitions, interactive workshops and lectures, he hoped to clearly show to the general public the importance of “A-Má Customs and Beliefs” and “Cantonese Opera” as intangible heritage items as well as the embodiment of traditional scaffolding building techniques. This initiative aims to lead the local population, students and visitors to appreciate and experience Macao’s unique cultural customs and raise concern with culture preservation, in order to achieve the sustainable development of traditional culture.
Following the opening ceremony, the “Mobile Museum – A-Má Bamboo Theatre” hosted operas for deities and youth shows as well as several other activities such as “Through the A-Ma Bamboo Theatre”, “Handicrafts - Mini-floral Plaque Making Workshop”, “The Fun of Sound and Wind Music”, “Art Workshop about Sculptures in the A-Ma Temple” and “Stamp Crafting Workshop”, among others. On the same day, in the evening, the lecture “Beliefs and Customs of A-Ma and Operas for Deities” took place. Afterwards, between 18 and 21 May, from 10am to 6pm, several thematic exhibitions will be consecutively inaugurated. From 18 until 20 May, several performances and special performances for students will be held. Several lectures are also programmed to take place, namely: “Operas in Bamboo Theater and Operas for Deities” and “Exploring A-Ma through Artworks”, on 18 May, from 6.30pm to 8pm; “Bamboo Scaffolding Techniques” and “Bats and Bamboos in Macao”, on 19 May, from 6pm to 8pm; and the bat search guided tour “Looking for Bats”, on 20 and 21 May, from 6pm to 7pm and from 7pm to 8pm. The lectures’ participants will have a chance to take part in a lucky draw and win T-shirts and electronic devices, among others. Lectures are open to the public. For more information and reservations for the several activities, please visit the web page www.museums.gov.mo.
