During the fifth regular meeting of the government-appointed Cultural Heritage Council, Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leong Wai Man said yesterday that concerning the historic value and architectural features of the sentry box on Rua Fernão Mendes Pinto in Taipa and the gatehouse of Pátio da Capoeira the members of the council unanimously agreed to back the restoration work on the two properties that have different degrees of damage and ageing.
Leong made the remarks after yesterday’s closed-door meeting that was held at the Macau Cultural Centre and after a press conference about next month’s Maritime Silk Road International Cultural Forum at the auditorium of the Macau Museum of Art (MAM) in Nape.
During the meeting, the bureau also consulted the council members on the exercise of pre-emptive rights in relation to an assessed immovable property, Leong noted.
Leong pointed out that as the assessed immovable property is an ordinary private immovable property that involves privacy, no specific case information will be released.
When reporters asked Leong whether she had received any information about the reported change in ownership of the Dr Sun Yat-sen Memorial House, Leong said that she had not received any.
The property is reportedly owned by a Kuomintang-linked company registered in Singapore.
Wu Chou Kit, a member of the Cultural Heritage Council, told reporters yesterday after the government-appointed council’s meeting that the maintenance costs for the sentry box on Rua Fernão Mendes Pinto and the gatehouse of Pátio da Capoeira would cost about 70,000 patacas and 170,000 patacas respectively.
Govt plans library in Zone A
Meanwhile, regarding the Zone A land reclamation area covering Eastern District 2, Leong pointed out that the area needs a community library similar to the one in Coloane’s Seac Pai Van public housing estate, adding that in the first stage, 2,000 square metres of land have been reserved for the construction of a library, while another 5,000 square metres of land will be earmarked for cultural facilities.
Lots D11 and D12 of Zone A have been earmarked for city-level cultural facilities, such as a museum or performance facilities, Leong said, adding that the bureau hopes that the space for a museum in Zone A will be a similar size to the Macau Museum of Art (MAM) in Nape which may provide better arts and cultural experiences for the public.
Leong pointed out that there will also be different cultural facilities in the future buildings’ podiums for the use by the general public and associations.
However, so far there is no timetable for the specific planning of cultural facilities in Zone A, Leong noted.
Moreover, when asked about the conflict between the members of the management group of A-Ma Temple, Leong said that her bureau was aware of the situation and closely communicating with the group, underlining that the bureau was most concerned about public access to heritage buildings and temples, which had so far not been affected.
Leong also said that heritage site of the erstwhile Iec Long Firework Factory in Taipa is scheduled to open at the end of this year, where a wooden walkway and an exhibition hall have been set up to enable members of the public to learn about its original appearance. She added that the exhibition will display exhibits related to the factory and local firecracker manufacturers, starting in late December to deepen public understanding of the industry. A coffee shop and other supporting facilities are expected to be gradually put into operation in the first quarter of next year, Leong noted.
