Macao was once called Hao Jing and was a subordinate of Xiangshan County in the Ming Qing Dynasty. In the mid-sixteenth century, Portuguese travelers arrived from the east and initially used Macao as a place to dry their goods. After the opium war, the Portuguese saw the incapability of the Qing Dynasty Government and gradually colonized the region. After the establishment of The People’s Republic of China, the Central Government strived for the reunification of China’s lost territories. On 1st July 1997 Hong Kong was handed back to China and just over 2 years later, a few days before the millennium, Macao was once again reunited with its motherland.

The 20th December 1999 was a memorable day for the Chinese, as the Sino-Portuguese Governments had completed a smooth handover of Macao’s regime and China’s history of colonization had come to an end. The Central Government implemented a “one country, two systems” policy in Macao and the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region marking a new era in Macao’s history.

To celebrate the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the family of the Chinese nation, which is composed of 56 ethnic groups, gave their blessings and auspicious gifts to Macao. The gifts were all designed with the nation’s unique artistic regional styles and represent best wishes of the ethnic groups towards Macao’s prosperous future. They also act as a symbol of the thriving prosperity of the motherland.

The Handover Gifts Museum of Macao is built on the site of the Macao handover ceremony of the Sino-Portuguese Governments. The land that witnessed the replacement of the Portuguese national flag with China’s national flag and the Macao Special Administrative Region flag is now the location for the exhibition of the handover gifts and blessings for the public. The Museum allows all Macao residents and tourists alike the opportunity to learn about the unique history of the territory.

Let the reunification be engraved in our history forever and let it be a historic milestone of our national renaissance.