The opening ceremony of “Return to the Education with Love – Exhibition of Historical Objects of Escola Stella Matutina”, organized by the Macao Museum, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), was held on 2 July, at 6:30pm, in the main hall of the Macao Museum. The ceremony was officiated by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Mok Ian Ian; the Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Yin Rutao; the former principal of Escola Stella Matutina, Sister Brigitte Fan Kuai Fong; the alumni representative of the school, Wong I Lin; and the Director of the Macao Museum, Lou Ho Ian, and was attended by alumni.

Established in Macao in 1953, Escola Stella Matutina strived to provide education for children from underprivileged families under the principle of promoting universal love and upholding moral standards, serving to mentor students in their early stages of development. Merged with Santa Rosa de Lima College in 1975, Escola Stella Matutina held a collection of memory for alumni after nearly half a century.

The exhibition is divided into four sections: “Campus Relics”, which introduces the former school buildings, facilities and the development of the school; “Garden of Learning”, which displays textbooks, students’ notebooks, exercise books, handicrafts and artworks completed in work-study programmes; “Traces of Youth”, which shows sports photos, awards, graduation certificates and souvenirs; as well as “Essence of Love”, which features photos of various activities and correspondence between teachers and students, bearing witness to their long-lasting friendship on and off campus.

“Return to the Education with Love – Exhibition of Historical Objects of Escola Stella Matutina’ is held from 3 July to 3 October. All are welcome to visit. The Macao Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm (the ticket booth closes at 5:30pm) and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free for Macao residents who present a Macao SAR Resident Identity Card, as well as for the general public on Tuesdays and the 15^th day of every month.

IC will strictly follow the relevant guidelines issued by the Health Bureau to ensure effective epidemic prevention. All visitors must wear face masks, undergo body temperature checks, present a “Macao Health Code” of the day and comply with the crowd control measures.

For more information about the exhibition and other related activities, please contact the Macao Museum through tel. no. 2835 7911 during office hours or visit the respective website at www.macaumuseum.gov.mo.