Prior to the modern metropolis known for its entertainment, tourism, and large-scale integrated resorts that we know today, have you ever wondered what Macau was like?
An exhibition at the Maritime Museum near A-Ma Temple explores that thought, particularly by harkening back to the city’s former fishing community through photos coupled with trilingual texts and tools of the trade.
The exhibition, titled “People and the Sea: The Fishermen’s Community in Macao”, is organised by the International Institute of Macau (IIM), with venue support and exhibits from the museum. Now in its final five-day run until Monday, visitors can see the city as it was decades ago captured in colour and black and white.
Alongside the life, traditions and customs of the community at the ongoing showcase, the findings by IIM researcher Mariana Pereira and doctoral student Jack Wang Deyi are presented as well, according to a previous IIM statement.
Pereira is also a researcher at the Heritage for Global Challenges Research Centre of the University of York in the UK, the statement pointed out.
The exhibition, however, goes beyond its exhibits, directing visitors to the importance of what it means to safeguard the local fishing culture and the memories it holds. With this in mind, exhibitiongoers are therefore left with a message at the venue that urges them not to look past or forget the city’s fishing roots, and why it matters.
The venue statement reads: “Safeguarding fishing culture means valuing more than surviving boats and objects. It also entails remembering the knowledge, stories, and practices connected to them. As Macau’s relationship with fishing changes, these accounts invite us to consider what maritime knowledge can still contribute to how future generations understand and live with the waters of the Pearl River Delta”.
The statement added: “Today, younger generations may no longer make their living from fishing. Yet leaving the occupation does not necessarily mean leaving every connection to the water behind”.
Locals and tourists alike can view the exhibits from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. until this Monday. Admission is free.
Photos taken yesterday at the Maritime Museum near A-Ma Temple by Rui Pastorin
