Religious figure carving is one of the traditional craftsmanships of Macao and one of the items inscribed on the city’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Big and small religious figures in various forms in temples or on household altars are meticulously carved from wood and painted in traditional colours or adorned with gold leaf by craftsmen. Many religious figures are worshipped by locals, such as Gautama Buddha, Kun Iam (Goddess of Mercy), Mazu (Goddess of Seafarers) and Kuan Tai (General Guan Yu); different deities are venerated in different communities and industries, but the purpose is the same – to pray for protection and good luck.

As society evolves, religious folk practices have gradually become less popular and religious figure carving has fallen into decline. It has a history of more than a hundred years in Macao, preserving the techniques of China’s wood-cut tradition, such as classical lacquering, gold leafing and Buddha’s facial features. Having absorbed foreign designs and joining methods, the invaluable “Macao Idol-Carving” was among the second batch of the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage on June 14^th, 2008.