In order to celebrate International Museum Day on 18 May, 20 museums in Macao co-organize the annual event of the museum sector, the “Macao International Museum Day Carnival 2022”. The opening ceremony was held today (29 May), at the Iao Hon Market Park, followed by the award ceremony of the podcast competition “One Museum, One Story: Expressing the Power of Museums through Sound”. The event featured a performance by the Macao tourism mascot “MAK MAK” and the Wing Chun martial arts performance by young martial artists. A wide range of intriguing activities were also held, including game booths, workshops, guided tours and a WeChat game with lucky draws, attracting the active participation of the residents.
The opening ceremony was officiated by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man; the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the Chief Curator of the Communications Museum, Olivia Wong; the Director of the Maritime Museum, Sit Kai Sin; the Commissioner of the Public Security Forces Affairs Bureau, Seak Teng Fong; the First-class Chief of Fire Services Bureau, Chan Kit Wa; the Deputy Curator of the Macao Science Center, Sylvester Cheong Hung Fat; the President of the Tung Sin Tong Charitable Society, José Chui Sai Peng; and the Vice President of the Lin Zexu Memorial Museum of Macao, Kong Weng Heng.
The theme set by the International Council of Museums for this year’s International Museum Day is “Power of Museums”. Under the impact of the global pandemic, museums are facing unprecedented challenges but are still upholding their original missions of providing cultural experiences and serving the public. Through different methods and media, the museums seek to reveal their unique cultural essences, with the aim of deepening their relationship with the community and infusing the power of museums into the community.
The museums host a wealth of activities on the day of the carnival, including game booths such as “Museum Exhibit Shrink Plastic Keychain”, “Weigh the Preserved Fruits – Traditional Shopping Experiential Workshop”, “Treasure Hunt in an Office in Iao Hon”, “Treasure Hunt for the Handover Gifts of Macao”, “Journey of Searching for the Scent – Maritime Trading of Spices”, “Mailing Bullseye”, “Electric Track”, “The Porcelain Story of Tung Sin Tong”, “Stories of Stones”, “Stories of the Specimen Suitcase”, and “Tough it out! Hold your breath!” which contains elements of the Xian Xinghai Memorial Museum; as well as workshops such as “Dreaming in Macao Memory” (Iao Hon District), “VR Experiences of Bugs”, and guided cultural tours. For more information about the activities and registration method, please visit the “Museums in Macao” website (www.museums.gov.mo). In addition, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong SAR has its publicity stands displayed at the event venue.
The Macao International Museum Day Carnival 2022 is jointly organized by the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt, Former Chong Sai Pharmacy, Tung Sin Tong Historical Archive Exhibition Hall, Xian Xinghai Memorial Museum, Lin Zexu Memorial Museum of Macao, Heritage Exhibition of a Traditional Pawnshop Business, Fire Services Museum, Maritime Museum, Communications Museum, Museum of Taipa and Coloane History, Treasure of Sacred Art of St. Joseph’s Seminary, General Ye Ting's Former Residence, Zheng Guanying Memorial Museum, Macao Grand Prix Museum, Handover Gifts Museum of Macao, Museum of the Macao Security Forces, Macao Science Center, Macao Museum, Macao Museum of Art and Taipa Houses.
The museums will strictly follow the relevant guidelines of the Health Bureau and implement appropriate measures. In cooperation with the epidemic prevention work of the SAR Government, all participants must wear their face masks, undergo body temperature checks, present a valid “Venue QR code” (also known as “Venue code”) and “Macao Health Code” of the day, maintain social distancing, and follow the anti-epidemic and crowd measures on-site.