In order to attract even more residents and tourists to the St. Lazarus’ quarter and to promote more in-depth visits, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) launched the “Installation of Signage Towards St. Lazarus Plan”. The first phase is centred on St. Lazarus’ Church, and directional signage will be installed in its six main surrounding arteries.

St. Lazarus’ Quarter is a classified architecture group, and St. Lazarus’ Church and forecourt are listed as monuments. The church, boasting a long history, and with the characteristic surrounding streets, makes up a uniform group of Southern Europe style two-storey buildings. It is hoped that the installation of these street signs will lead to a systematic re-routing of visitors towards St. Lazarus’ Quarter, who can then experience the area’s history and culture, while, at the same time, promoting the development of cultural tourism and cultural and creative industries in this neighbourhood.

The first six locations where this signage will be installed include the area in front of Macao Conservatory’s School of Music, the exterior of 10 Fantasia, the Almirante Costa Cabral roundabout, the exterior of no. 14 of Rua de Eduardo Marques, the exterior of IC’s building in the direction of the Estrada do Cemitério and the exterior of Iau Luen Building at Rua de Ferreira do Amaral. In the future, this signage will be extended to other places in the zone, and there are plans to install signs of area, in order to gradually improve the signage system for tourists.

In order not to affect and occupy public space, the signs will be suspended from buildings’ walls and, taking into consideration the European style decorative elements, will be creatively made out of iron. Its design will be inspired by the imposing St. Lazarus’ Church, a visual focal point at no. 7 of the area’s main artery, Calçada da Igreja de São Lázaro, to which an image of a running child will be incorporated, in way to metaphorically symbolise “enter into the community”. It is hoped that the streets create a unique landscape and establish a vibrant and energetic cultural atmosphere in the area. The installation of these signs relies on the cooperation and support of institutions and the general public, thereby contributing to disseminate in unison Macao’s traditional neighbourhoods’ cultural atmosphere.

The St. Lazarus’ Quarter is not only a classified architecture group but it has also become in recent years an important incubator area of local cultural and creative industries, in addition to hosting annually the “Parade through Macau, Latin City”. In this event, artists from Macao and Latin languages countries sing and dance through the neighbourhood’s streets, rich in Latin style, revealing the unique cultural characteristics of Macao as well as its atmosphere of cultural fusion, creating a beautiful scenery year after year.

The “Installation of Signage Towards St. Lazarus Plan” will contribute to the participation of residents and tourists in cultural activities held in this area, in order to gather people and to promote the development of cultural tourism and cultural and creative industries.