Jointly organised by the Macao Museum, under the direction of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government, and the National Archives of Rome, the exhibition “Journey to the Ends of the World: Michele Ruggieri and Jesuits in China” will be ended at 6:00 pm on 3rd March (Sunday). Those who are interested in understanding more of the importance of the Sino-European cultural exchange, please seize the opportunity to visit the exhibition - a project enlisted in the China-European Union Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2012.

The core of the exhibition is the manuscript of The Atlas of China drawn by Ruggieri and maps drawn by other Jesuits that stored in the National Archives of Rome. Through the life story of Michele Ruggieri, it introduces the development history of the Society of Jesus in Italy from the middle of the sixteenth century to seventeenth century. The exhibition is divided into eight sections, and more than a hundred collection pieces of historic picture scrolls of the early Sino-European cultural exchange in Macau are shown. Besides, multimedia presentations, educational area and game area have been arranged to help the public obtain a comprehensive understanding of the exhibition.

In addition to the exhibits from the National Archives of Rome and the Macao Museum, other exhibits were loaned by other cultural institutions including the Society of Jesus in Portugal, the Biblioteca Alessandrina di Roma, the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Roma, the Biblioteca Angelicum di Roma, the Archivio di Stato di Napoli, the Bibliothèque Nationale de France, the Society of Jesus of Macao, the Diocese of Macao, the Museum of the Holy House of Mercy, the Macao Central Library and the Historical Archives of Macao. The exhibition attracted about sixty thousand of Macao residents and visitors in the last three months, many schools and associations came and visited in groups.

In addition, the Symposium on Atlas of China by Michele Ruggieri, cooperated with the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Centre of Macau Studies, will be held at the Macao Museum Auditorium at 9:30 am on 28th February (Thursday). Thirteen well-known scholars from overseas, Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao have been invited to present research articles. It is conducted in Mandarin and English, and simultaneous interpretation service will be available. The seminar is on a first come first served basis. For enquiries, please call 8399 6382 during office hours.

The opening hours of the Macao Museum is from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (closed on Mondays). Macao residents with valid identification card or student card will receive free admission on Sundays. For more information, please call 28357911 during office hours or visit the Macao Museum website www.macaumuseum.gov.mo.