The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) announced on its website yesterday that the Na Tcha Exhibition Hall will be closed to the public tomorrow.
The statement said that in order to facilitate distribution network maintenance and improvement works undertaken by power utility CEM, the hall will be closed tomorrow. It will reopen on Saturday.
The Na Tcha Exhibition Hall, according to the bureau’s website, which opened in 2012 based on a cooperation arrangement between the bureau, the Na Tcha Temple Association and residents living nearby.
Residents of the nearby Chi Lam Vai heritage village are known to be actively involved in maintaining the hall and the adjacent Na Tcha Temple.
The hall, according to the bureau, enable locals and visitors alike to gain a better understanding of the festivities, history and customs related and dedicated to Na Tcha, a popular Taoist tutelary deity.
The hall, located next to one of Macau’s two Na Tcha temples, is located near the village known in Portuguese as Pátio do Espinho (“Courtyard of the Thorn), covers around 70 square metres. It presents the legend of Na Tcha and its festivities and exhibits several objects used in the celebration of the divinity’s birthday, such as religious incense burners, couplets, objects used in religious processions, like the Sedan-Chair of Na Tcha, the ceremonial umbrella, lion-dance heads and firecrackers for the religious festivities, among others.
“Ne Zha 2”, which was released last year, has become China’s most successful film to date, raking in over US$2.2 billion so far. It is also the world’s most profitable animation film. In his 2026 New Year’s message, President Xi Jinping described the film as a “global hit” promoting Chinese culture.
Na Tcha’s (Nezha in Putonghua) birthday is on the 18th day of the fifth month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. In the Western calendar, his birthday this year falls on July 2nd.
Chi Lam Vai (茨林圍) includes a café and souvenir shop dedicated to Na Tcha.
A security guard stands in front of the Na Tcha Exhibition Hall adjacent to the Na Tcha Temple close to the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Chi Lam Vai heritage village yesterday afternoon. The Temple and St. Paul’s Ruins are UNESCO World Heritage-listed monuments. – Photo: Armindo Neves
