The Chio Family Mansion on Travessa da Porta has been listed as one of the Classified Immovable Properties of Significant Cultural Value in Macau, and Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leong Wai Man has said that she expects the mansion to be opened to the public after restoration work later this year.
Speaking to the media at the Macau Museum of Art in Nape, Leong said yesterday that the internal mapping, field research and clean-up of the Chio Family Mansion had been completed, the restoration work of which, according to Leong, was expected to commence in the fourth quarter of this year.
She pointed out that the mansion’s restoration progress was slower than expected: “If the restoration project goes well, it will be completed in the first quarter of next year and there will be new features housed in the mansion after that, with the aim of enabling residents and young people in particular to learn and understand the contents of traditional Chinese culture, while appreciating the mansion’s architectural art”.
Concerning the installation of a lightning protection system on the Ruins of St. Paul’s, Leong said: “It is one of the core and most important heritage items in our UNESCO World Heritage site, so we all hope to adopt a more cautious attitude”, adding that the installation of the lightning protection system was still at the research stage, during which the most suitable option was being considered in light of the area’s topography and the architectural value of the heritage, with emphasis on the future location of the lightning system, and whether it would interfere with the World Heritage ambience.
According to Leong, her bureau will consult the National Administration of Cultural Heritage on the plan for installing a lightning protection system at the Ruins of St Paul’s, adding that the consultation was expected to take one to two months.
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) President Leong Wai Man speaks to the media at the Macau Museum of Art in Nape yesterday. – Photo: Yuki Lei
