The large-scale themed exhibition “Maritime Porcelain Road – Relics from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Museums”, results of a joint co-operation of the Guangdong Department of Culture, Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau and Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau, and is organised by the Guangdong Museum, the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Macao Museum, will be ended on 7th October Sunday afternoon. The exhibition will then be transferred to Guangdong and Hong Kong for a display tour.

This exhibition is rich in the knowledge of Chinese porcelain ware and history. It has been four months since the opening of the exhibition on 26th May til now, the exhibition has attracted porcelain ware lovers, Macao residents and travellers interested in understanding more of the related history to visit. Many schools and organisations have also organised tours for the exhibition. Over 78,000 visitors have attended the exhibition by now.

The Macao Museum is open half an hour earlier than usual for the convenience of visitors from all walks of life. The opening hours are from 9.30am to 6.00pm every day except Mondays. Ticket booth closes at 5.30pm. Macao residents present ID card or student card is free of admission on Sundays. On the national public holidays, 1st and 2nd October, the Macao Museum is open to the public for free. Macao residents, tourists and organisations please take the occasion to visit. Please be reminded that the Macao Museum will return to the normal opening time which is 10.00am after the exhibition is finished.

Since time immemorial, the export of porcelain ware played a crucially important role in Chinese history, in addition to acting as a bridge and bond in exchanges and communications with various parts of the world. 180 valuable origins of porcelain ware relics and photos are shown to visitors in three different themes displayed in the exhibition. Therefore visitors would understand more of the fine pieces of export porcelain ware, the firing of porcelain ware and the process of transforming pottery into porcelain from the Eastern Han to Qing Dynasty (nearly 2000 years in total), in addition to how the trading of export porcelain ware by sea played an important position and significant role during different historical periods in Guangzhou, Macao and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, other countries (including various countries in Asia and Europe) mastered the techniques necessary for producing porcelain influenced by Chinese porcelain tradition, resulting in other porcelain ware with different style and charm in different cultures.

The underwater archeology has become a popular subject and the center of attention. There are a lot of significant discoveries in Chinese export porcelain ware in recent years through the study of underwater archeology. The other theme in the exhibition has displayed relics from the sunken merchant ship Nanhai I of the Song Dynasty, ancient porcelain ware from the sunken merchant ship from Ming Dynasty, now named Nanao I, near Nanao Island, Guangdong Porvince is also available. There are two archaeological videos screened underwater played in the exhibition for the visitors. These vidoes give the visitors a taste of underwater adventure, so that they will gain more understanding on the danger and joy of underwater archeology.

Furthermore, the venue also shows documentaries on the processes of Jindezhen blue-and-white porcelain ware and Longquan celadon. These films were recorded and produced in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, and Longquen, Zhejiang Province, respectively. Models of the ancient kilns are also on display. Through these displays, remnants of ancient kilns and production process of ancient ceramics are introduced to visitors.