Group photo of officiating guests
Organised by the Macao Museum, under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the thematic exhibition “The Blessed Land – Belief and Customs of Tou Tei in Macao” was inaugurated on 18 January. The opening ceremony was officiated by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Leong Wai Man; 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 President of the Macao Foc Tac Temple of Horta da Mitra Association, Lo Seng Chung; the Chairman of the Tou Tei Temple (Patane) Mercy and Charity Association, Wong Wa Keong; the Chairman of the Macao Foc Tac Temple of Rua da Praia do Manduco Charity Association, Cheong Lai Chan; and the President of the Macau Temple Festival Cultural Promotion Association, Ip Tat.
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 Macao Museum, together with various local civic entities, collected a variety of cultural relics related to the belief and customs of Tou Tei, showing the public the folk belief and customs with distinctive characteristics of traditional Chinese culture through the exhibition.
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 God of Earth”, “Inheritance Through Generations”, “Celebration of Thousand Homes” and “Blessings and Thrivings for Neighbouring Households”, this exhibition features 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 is available in this exhibition where booklets are provided for visitors an understanding of intangible cultural heritage items of Macao and the rich essence of traditional Chinese culture. In addition, the Macao Museum launches 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 exhibition is held from 19 January to 23 April. 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 15th 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.
