The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) announced yesterday that it will launch a cultural heritage evaluation procedure today for 12 properties during which the government will determine whether they will be officially classified as cultural heritage sites.
The 12 properties are among the bureau’s “third batch” of immovable properties to be evaluated since the Cultural Heritage Protection Law came into force in 2014.
The bureau announced details about the 12 properties during a press conference at its premises in Praça do Tap Seac, which was conducted by IC Vice President Leong Wai Man, Choi Kin Long, who heads the bureau’s Cultural Heritage Department, and Choi Cheng Cheng, a senior official of the bureau.
Leong pointed out that nine old properties were newly listed as cultural heritage sites in 2017 after the bureau’s “first batch” of cultural heritage evaluations of immovable properties, while nine additional properties were classified as cultural heritage sites last year in the “second batch”. In addition, the bureau also classified the Lai Chi Vun shipyards area as a cultural heritage site in 2018, Leong pointed out.
Leong said that Macau already had 128 official cultural heritage sites before the Cultural Heritage Protection Law took effect, adding that there are currently 147 cultural heritage sites in the city after the 19 additional immovable properties were listed.
The bureau proposed the possible listing of 10 properties in its “first batch” of cultural heritage evaluations of immovable properties but finally decided to classify nine of them as cultural heritage sites. The bureau proposed nine properties in the “second batch”, and all of them were finally listed as cultural heritage sites.
The bureau will launch a two-month public consultation today on its cultural heritage evaluation procedures for the 12 newly proposed properties. The public consultation will end on January 23 next year.
According to the Cultural Heritage Protection Law, the cultural heritage evaluation of a particular property has to be completed within a year of the process getting off the ground.
Leong pointed out that according to the law, the government is also required to consult the Cultural Heritage Council on the cultural heritage evaluations of immovable properties, in addition to a public consultation.
After the evaluation process, the government will decide whether the 12 properties will be officially classified as cultural heritage sites.
The 12 properties comprise the No. 1 Pier near A Ma Temple; the old Taipa pier; Coloane Pier; two temples (one in Ka Ho and the other in San Kio); archaeological relics in Rua de D. Belchior Carneiro and at the ruins of the St. Paul’s College and the old city wall; two buildings, one used by the Catholic diocese in Calçada da Vitória and the other by a non-profit organisation in Estrada Nova; Our Lady of Mercy Home in Largo da Companhia; and the old leprosarium and Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Ka Ho.
Leong said that three public sessions would be held during the consultation period, adding that residents can also submit their suggestions and opinions by email, post or fax. The first session will be held at the Macau Cultural Centre (CCM) on Saturday.
The two photos taken yesterday show a building in 55 Calçada da Vitória, which is currently used by the Macau Catholic Diocese, and a building in 2 Estrada Nova, which is currently used by a non-profit organisation. Photos: Tony Wong
