Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leong Wai Man told reporters yesterday at a press conference after the first closed-door plenary meeting of the Cultural Development Committee that her bureau is preparing to subsidise a successful applicant who would like to repurpose 10 buildings of the Mong-Ha Villas.
According to the Leong, the subsidy programme will be launched this year. She added that the government will convert some of the “areal cultural heritage”* buildings for commercial purposes, noting that Mong-Ha Villas, former staff quarters for civil servants, comprises 12 buildings and the government is opening 10, three of which will be designated for cultural activities, while the remaining seven can be used for other purposes, such as retail or food and beverage outlets. The aim of the repurposing, she underlined, is to revitalise the Mong-Ha areal cultural heritage buildings, hoping to integrate the area with the northern and central district and become a route for cultural tourism.
*“Areal cultural heritage” comprises a number of cultural buildings in the same area which are owned by the government.
Leong also said that as the areal cultural heritage buildings project is relatively large, applicants for this project would need a degree of financial support. She added that the successful applicant will be given a one-time payment, stressing that, however, the bureau doesn’t know yet how much will be given to the applicant.
Leong also said that another subsidy will be launched for owners of private cultural heritage buildings. She pointed out that the owners of those buildings can apply for a subsidy from the bureau for renovation and maintenance work. She underlined that she hoped that the subsidy scheme can enable more people to actively participate in cultural heritage protection work.
Meanwhile, another new project was announced by Leong yesterday during the press conference, for which the bureau is inviting the previous curator of the Palace Museum, Shan Jixiang, and his team to design Macau cultural products with the aim of promoting the development of the city’s cultural and creative industries.
New IC facilities
The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) said in a statement yesterday that it has opened a new integrated space – comprising a bookshop, a café, art gallery and a workshop – in the Praça do Tap Seac business centre, also known as the Glass House. The statement pointed out that the space will be selling local arts and crafts, and local publications, adding that the bureau is planning to invite local and non-local artists to host exhibitions in the space.
Moreover, the Mandarin’s House’s souvenir shop is operated by HOHO-DESIGN, which exudes, according to the statement, the atmosphere of the old and traditional Macau. Besides souvenirs, the statement added, the shop also provides a platform for local arts and creative industries to sell their products.
This undated handout photo provided by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) shows the newly opened Mandarin’s House’s souvenir shop. Photo: Prisca Tang
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leong Wai Man addresses a press conference after the first closed-door plenary meeting of the Cultural Development committee yesterday at the Macau Cultural Centre in Nape.
