Government Headquarters Open Day sessions on 17 and 18 October

Government Headquarters Open Day sessions on 17 and 18 October

Government Headquarters Open Day sessions will this year be held on 17 and 18 October (Saturday and Sunday) from 9am to 6pm. The sessions will include a series of performances and thematic flower displays. During the two days, members of the public will have the opportunity to visit the Protocol Palace of the Government Headquarters – a brightly coloured landmark built more than 160 years ago – and its garden, located on Avenida da Praia Grande. There will also be guided tours of the ground floor of the Headquarters. There will additionally be a display in the multipurpose room of the Protocol Palace, titled “Photo Exhibition on ‘The Historic Centre of Macao’ as World Heritage”. The theme of the flower show is “Joy of Family”. It aims to add to the appeal of this year’s Open Day sessions. The colourful blooms will be in the Protocol Palace, on the grass lawn, in flower racks and in the front yard. The highlight will be the Calla Lily (or Zantedeschia aethiopica), for its elegant shape and diverse colours. In addition, six traditional Chinese containers, part of the nation’s cultural heritage, will be used to display Chinese-style flower arrangements at the bottom of the staircase of the Protocol Palace. There will be live performances by the Macao Police Band, and music instrument, choir and dance performances by students from respectively the School of Music and the School of Dance at the Macao Conservatory, an institution attached to the Cultural Affairs Bureau. The original portion of the Government Headquarters – including the Protocol Palace – was built in 1849. It has been used as the office for Macao heads of government before and after the establishment of the Macao SAR. Today the building houses the Executive Council chamber; a multifunctional meeting room; and the Lotus Chamber. The office of the Chief Executive is on the first floor, together with the Green Chamber, the Yellow Chamber and the Blue Chamber, which are for greeting guests and holding meetings and banquets. For more detailed information and a schedule of Open Day sessions activities, please visit http://www2.gcs.gov.mo/openday/en/index.php or http://www.gov.mo, or download the official “Open Day App” available for either Android or iOS portable devices.