The Handover Gifts Museum of Macao is located next to the Macao Museum of Art in Avenida Xian Xing Hai (N.A.P.E.). The location of the Museum is also the area that was used for the handover ceremony on 20th December, 1999 in which Macao was returned to the Mainland. When the hall was dismantled after the ceremony the area became part of the Macao Cultural Centre. Construction work for the Handover Gifts Museum of Macao started in March 2003 and was completed in October 2004. The Museum was officially opened December 2004.
The main aim of the Handover Gifts Museum of Macao is to commemorate the handover for its significance in Macao’s modern history. The inauguration of the Museum on the 5th anniversary of the handover is also indeed significant and momentous.
The handover gifts exhibition hall mainly exhibits the handover gifts presented by the State Council of The People’s Republic of China, its country-wide provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Handover Gifts Museum of Macao
Opening hours: 10:00–19:00 (last entry at 18:30)
Closed on Mondays and open on public holidays
Free admission
Website: www.icm.gov.mo/handovermuseum/
Tel: (853) 8504 1800
Address: Av. Xian Xing Hai, s/n, NAPE Macao
Handover Gifts Exhibition
Macao was once called Hao Jing and was a subordinate of Xiangshan County in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Since the mid-sixteenth century, Portuguese traveled from the West and gradually occupied the region. However, this does not change the fact that Macao has been a sacred territory of China since ancient times.
After the establishment of The People’s Republic of China, the Central Government strived for the reunification of China’s lost territories. On 1st July 1997 Hong Kong was handed back to China and just over 2 years later, a few days before the millennium, Macao was once again reunited with its motherland.
The 20th December 1999 was a memorable day for the Chinese, as the Sino-Portuguese Governments had completed a smooth handover of Macao’s regime and China’s history of colonization had come to an end. The Central Government implemented a “one country, two systems” policy in Macao and the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region marking a new era in Macao’s history.
To celebrate the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region, the family of the Chinese nation, which is composed of 56 ethnic groups, gave their blessings and auspicious gifts to Macao. The gifts were all designed with the nation’s unique artistic regional styles and represent best wishes of the ethnic groups towards Macao’s prosperous future. They also act as a symbol of the thriving prosperity of the motherland.
The Handover Gifts Museum of Macao is built on the site of the Macao handover ceremony of the Sino-Portuguese Governments. The land that witnessed the replacement of the Portuguese national flag with China’s national flag and the Macao Special Administrative Region flag is now the location for the exhibition of the handover gifts and blessings for the public. The Museum allows all Macao residents and tourists alike the opportunity to learn about the unique history of the territory.
Let the reunification be engraved in our history forever and let it be a historic milestone of our national renaissance.
Introduction