The Chinese New Year is approaching. Macao Museum and its affiliated galleries under the Cultural Affairs Bureau - including the Museum of Sacred Art and Crypt, Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre, Heritage Exhibition of a Traditional Pawnshop Business, Mount Fortress Corridor and Guia Chapel located in Guia Fortress - will open to the public on Chinese New Year’s Eve (30th January) as well as during Chinese New Year (31st January to 2nd February) as per usual. Citizens and tourists are welcome to visit.

The Heritage Exhibition of a Traditional Pawnshop Business will close on the first day of Chinese New Year (31st January) but will open on the second and third days of Chinese New Year (1st and 2nd February) as per usual.

To celebrate the festive Chinese New Year with citizens, from the first to third days Macao citizens can visit Macao Museum free of charge with identification cards or Macao student cards. Macao Museum and the Heritage Exhibition of a Traditional Pawnshop Business will close on the fourth day of Chinese New Year (3rd February). Macao Chinese Orchestra will perform a Chinese New Year concert at 6:00pm on 7th February at Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre. It will also perform in the main hall of Macao Museum at 12:00pm on 25th February to enrich the Chinese New Year festive atmosphere. Admission to both performances are free. Places are limited and available on a first come, first served basis.

In addition, Macao Museum will organise a launch ceremony at 5:45pm on 12th February in its auditorium for two special books; namely, “500 Years of Italians in Hong Kong & Macau” recommended by the Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong and Macao and “Portrait of a Jesuit - Alessandro Valignano”, published by the Macau Ricci Institute.

The three exhibition projects that Macao Museum joined in the Greater Pearl River Delta Cultural Co-operation Meeting are either currently or will tour in Guangdong and Hong Kong. “Maritime Porcelain Road: Relics from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Museums”, which moves to the Hong Kong Museum of Art, will exhibit until 16th February. Meanwhile, “Historical Imprints of Lingnam: Major Archaeological Discoveries of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao” opened in Guangdong Museum some days ago and will be held until 28th March.

Another exhibition themed Tranquil Life: Relics of Sun Yat Sen’s Second Daughter Sun Wan and her Husband Dai En Sai Collected in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Joint Exhibition will commence in the Guangdong Museum of Revolutionary History in Guangzhou from 27th February.

Macao Museum opens from 10:00am to 6:00pm (Tickets are only available until 5:30 p.m). Citizens who would like to know the opening hours of the aforementioned museums can phone (853) 2835 7911 in office hours for enquiry or refer to the information on the following websites: www.macaumuseum.gov.mo and www.icm.gov.mo.