For the occasion of the Spring Festival, the Macao Museum, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, will present the thematic exhibition “The Blessed Land – Belief and Customs of Tou Tei in Macao” from 19 January 2023, showing the public this folk belief and customs with distinctive characteristics of traditional Chinese culture.

“Worshipping Tou Tei” is a tradition that has been practiced for several centuries by the Chinese community in Macao. The diverse Tou Tei belief and culture, which have been continually passed down and deeply rooted in the community, are constituted with three major Tou Tei temples as the core of its heritage supported by around 200 shrines dedicated to the deity scattered the city and with the Tou Tei celebrations on the second day of the second lunar month as a key annual event. The “belief and Customs of Tou Tei in Macao” was inscribed on the fifth batch of the National List of Representative Elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China, in 2021.

The exhibition “The Blessed Land – Belief and Customs of Tou Tei in Macao” is one of the  activities of IC’s “Let’s Celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Hare” series. Divided into the four sections “Grace of the Earth God”, “Inheritance Through Generations”, “Celebration of Thousand Homes” and “Blessings and Thrivings for Neighbouring Households”, this exhibition features nearly 100 pieces/sets of exhibits, including books, inscriptions, photographs, religious statues, sacrifices and celebratory objects, systematically revealing the course of how the belief and customs of Tou Tei have taken root, continued and developed in Macao and vividly showcases local residents’ traditional faith and worship of the Tou Tei deity and best wishes for life.

An education zone will be available in this exhibition where booklets will be provided to give vistors an understanding of intangible cultural heritage items of Macao and the rich essence of traditional Chinese culture. In addition, the Macao Museum will launch an online virtual reality exhibition under the same theme “The Blessed Land – Belief and Customs of Tou Tei in Macao”, which can be visited online through the Museum’s webpage; further details will be announced later.

The opening ceremony of the exhibition “The Blessed Land – Belief and Customs of Tou Tei in Macao” will be held at the Macao Museum on 18 January (Wednesday) at 6:30 pm. The exhibition will be held until 23 April, and all are welcome to visit. The Macao Museum is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm (last admission at 5:30 pm) and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free for holders of Macao Resident Identity Card and for the general public on Tuesdays and the 15^th day of every month. For more information about the exhibition and relevant activities, please visit the Macao Museum’s website at www.macaumuseum.gov.mo or contact the Macao Museum at 2835 7911 during office hours.