Cultural Affairs Bureau launches several works to promote research projects on cultural heritage

13/07/2015

The Cultural Affairs Bureau promotes research projects on Macao’s cultural heritage though the launch, on 12 July, of several works concerning Macao’s cultural heritage and its preservation, namely The Historic Centre of Macao, Golden Years – Lou Kau and Lou Kau Mansion, Charm of the Ruins –The Ruins of St. Paul’s and St. Paul’s College, Annals of Sessions – The Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau Building, and also the collection of Zheng Guanying’s Poetry, revealing Macao’s valuable heritage resources and the achievements obtained with the respective protection works.

The Historic Centre of Macao, by Tang Si Peng, presents a historical narrative, including a number of old images of heritage sites, recent photographs and tri-dimensional blueprints of some buildings, allowing readers to have a quick, vivid and easy overview of the 25 sites that comprise The Historic Centre of Macao, while, at the same time, revealing the process of Macao’s inscription as World Heritage. For the convenience of local and foreign readers, this book will be published in a bilingual Chinese-English edition and will be available at the price of MOP90  

“Book Series of Macao Cultural Heritage” invites academics to present in a clear manner, departing from historical facts but using a common language, the origins and relevant vicissitudes of the cultural heritage, historical characters, architectural features, religious traditions, folk festivals and poems, among others. This year, three works will be launched, namely Golden Years – Lou Kau and Lou Kau Mansion, by Lin Guangzhi, a work that features the evolution of Macao’s society as background and makes use of vivid descriptions to narrate the legendary life of Lou Kau and the glorious times of his family; Charm of the Ruins –The Ruins of St. Paul’s and St. Paul’s College, by Chen Wenyuan and Cao Tianzhong, explores the deep historical meaning behind this monument and its marked cultural legacy, revealing the architectonic art of St. Paul’s Church and St. Paul’s College while narrating the missionary history of Catholicism in the east; and Annals of Sessions – The Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau Building, by Zhao Lifeng, which follows the different names taken by the building throughout the centuries, unveiling its role as an administrative and political centre. The three volumes will be available at the price of MOP120 each.

Compiled by the Macao Museum and the Shanghai Library and published by the  Shanghai Classics Publishing House, the collection of Zheng Guanying’s Poetry comprises a total of six volumes, divided into five parts, incorporating topics such as current politics, modernisation industry, self-cultivation, aspirations, religion, as well as local customs and products. Among others, having as reference another book previously published by Zheng Guanying himself, this compilation includes Anthology of Zheng Guanying’s Poetry (two volumes), A Collection of Poems by Zheng Guanying and the replies, A Collection of Poems on the Occasion of Zheng Guanying’s 60th birthday, A Collection of Poems on the Occasion of Zheng Guanying’s 70th birthday and  A Collection of Poems in Old Age by Zheng Guanying, as well as an annexed edition comprising 97 poems divided into 38 topics. The poems are essential to understand Zheng Guanying and his magnum opus Words of Warning in Times of Prosperity. This compilation will be available at the price of MOP980.

These publications will be available from 13 July at the Macao Book Fair to be held at the Macao Polytechnic Institute’s Sports Pavilion, at the Plaza Cultural Macau bookstore, Seng Kwong bookstore, the Macao Historical Archives, the Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre, the Portuguese Bookstore and the Public Information Centre located in Rua do Campo. For more information, please contact Ms. Ng through tel. no. 8399 6484, during office hours, or through email at publications@icm.gov.mo or visit the webpage www.icm.gov.mo/mhd10.

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