The 29th Session of the World Heritage
Committee has agreed to inscribe “The Historic Monuments of Macao”, with the
official title altered to “The Historic Centre of Macao”, on UNESCO’s
prestigious World Heritage List, under the terms of the Convention Concerning
the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (“World Heritage
Convention”). The announcement was made by the Chairperson of the World Heritage
Committee on 15 July at 4:10 pm Macao time, to the applause of all present in
the hall and by unanimous agreement.
The Convention Concerning the Protection of the
World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which governs the World Heritage List, was
adopted at the 17th General Conference of UNESCO in Paris in November 1972, and
by 31 March 2005, 180 out of 191 Member States had ratified the international
treaty.
Currently sitting in Durban, South Africa, the 29th
Session of the World Heritage Committee has approved China’s bid, “The Historic
Centre of Macao”, following grueling analysis by the Committee and its
associated experts. The cultural heritage site will now be officially inscribed
on the World Heritage List, raising the number of World Heritage Sites in China
to 31. This international recognition will further raise community and visitor
awareness, fostering a greater appreciation of heritage in Macao.
The 26-member Chinese delegation headed by Zhang
Xuezhong, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of China to UNESCO, Zhang Bai,
Deputy Director-General of the National Administration of Cultural Heritage,
Fernando Chui, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Heidi Ho, President of
the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and Stephen Chan, Acting Vice-President of the same
organisation, witnessed the historic moment in Durban.
The Historic Centre of Macao” is a living
representation of the city’s historic western settlement, comprising
architectural legacies interwoven amongst the original urban fabric illustrating
the first and most lasting encounter between China and the western world.
The newly-listed World Heritage site incorporates
streetscapes and piazzas such as Barra Square, Lilau Square, St. Augustine’s
Square, Senado Square, Cathedral Square, St. Dominic’s Square, Company of Jesus
Square and Camões Square. These provide the linkage for a succession of over
twenty monuments, including A-Ma Temple, Moorish Barracks, Mandarin’s House, St.
Lawrence’s Church, St. Joseph’s Seminary and Church, Dom Pedro V Theatre, Sir
Robert Ho Tung Library, St. Augustine’s Church, “Leal Senado” Building, Sam Kai
Vui Kun Temple, Holy House of Mercy, Cathedral, Lou Kau Mansion, St. Dominic’s
Church, Ruins of St. Paul’s, Na Tcha Temple, Section of the Old City Walls,
Mount Fortress, St. Anthony’s Church, Casa Garden, the Protestant Cemetery and
Guia Fortress (including Guia Chapel and Guia Lighthouse).
“The Historic Centre of Macao” correlates to the
origins of the city as a trading port and principal gateway between China and
the western world. Founded on this stretch of land are western building types,
many of which were the first of their kind on Chinese soil: churches,
seminaries, fortresses, a university, hospital, theatre, lighthouse and
Protestant cemetery. “The Historic Centre of Macao” also comprises examples of
traditional Chinese architecture such as residential compounds and temples which
co-exist with western-style buildings as part of the same urban fabric. This
succession of monuments encapsulates a broad spectrum of architectural legacies,
reflecting the multicultural dimension of the historic port which has given
Macao its unique East-West identity.
Integrated within a historically vibrant
environment, the “Historic Centre of Macao” still has a clearly identifiable
character, remaining fertile ground for cultural exchange. East and West have
met and merged for over four centuries in an atmosphere marked by respect and
tolerance, facilitating unique forms of cultural assimilation, from tangible
traditions such as building techniques, to intangible aspects of life such as
religion and social lifestyle.
Since 2003, States Parties to the World Heritage
Convention have been limited to submitting a single nomination for the
consideration of the World Heritage Committee: the Macao application topped the
list for China this year.
At last year’s session held in Suzhou, the World
Heritage Committee decided that starting in 2006 States Parties may make two
nominations each year, one of which must be Natural Heritage. China plans to
submit two nominations for consideration next year, for Cultural and Natural
Heritage respectively: the Yin Ruins, Anyang, and the Wolong Nature Reserve,
Sichuan.
