Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian told reporters yesterday that the four old cannons that were found on two construction sites in the past year are being restored, adding that the restoration work might take a few years, but meanwhile the bureau would try to display them digitally.
Mok made the remarks on the sidelines of yesterday’s press conference about the “Culture Promotion Month” at the bureau’s headquarters in Praça do Tap Seac.
Mok said that currently the cannons are being soaked in a “special liquid” to preserve them, noting that the cannons are not ready to be displayed physically. She added that her bureau was thinking of presenting the cannons online.
Two of the cannons were found by chance early this month on the Galaxy Macau Phase 4 construction site in Cotai. Another cannon was accidentally dug out on the same construction site last November. The fourth cannon was found near Pak Kong carpark in Avenida de Demétrio Cinatti in April 2020.
Culture Promotion Month
Meanwhile, Mok announced during the press conference that next month will be “Culture Promotion Month”. She pointed out that her bureau will be hosting six key events for residents to learn more about the city’s culture and deepen their knowledge about specific communities.
Mok said one of the key events during the “Culture Promotion Month” will be her talk with Macau Orchestra’s conductor Lu Jia about “aesthetics” and how it is ubiquitous in everyone’s daily lives. She underlined that there will be other events such as a lion dance workshop and a dragon’s beard candy workshop.
Mok also mentioned the Cultural Ambassador Programme which was launched in 2019. She said that the programme will be re-launched this year to attract local residents to learn more about culture and also to promote local culture.
Mok said the signing-up period for the Cultural Ambassador Programme runs until April 9, adding that the bureau is looking for residents, aged 18 or above, who are passionate about art and eager to learn more and spread the word about Macau’s cultural aspects. She also pointed out that the bureau is only recruiting 50 members for the programme, stressing that selected residents would need to go through 57 hours of training courses and six days of a cultural exchange trip. She said that those who applied for the programme would need to go through two rounds of interviews.
COVID 19 prevention measures
When asked by the media about whether the bureau would impose strict COVID-19 measures for the series of events coming up in the next few months, Mok said that the upcoming Macau Arts Festival (MAF), music festivals and other events would follow the Health Bureau’s (SSM) guidelines and impose all the required measures.
Mok said that due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, each event needed to follow different rules in order to allow the audience enjoy art in a safe environment. She said that she also hoped that residents and tourists would wear facemasks and show a valid health code when attending art events. She also underlined that her bureau would impose crowd control measures and limit the number of people at a venue.
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Mok Ian Ian talks to reporters yesterday on the sidelines of a press conference about the upcoming “Culture Promotion Month” at the IC headquarters in Praça do Tap Seac. Photo: Prisca Tang
