‘Exploring the Historic Centre of Macao’ by PDA Route Guide – Courtesy of Cultural Affairs Bureau

Following the success of the Macao Heritage Net in 2004 and the Macao World Heritage Information Kit launched last year, Cultural Affairs Bureau takes great pleasure in introducing ‘Exploring the Historic Centre of Macao’ PDA route guide through network technology. The system presents comprehensive introduction and information on the sites situated in the Historic Centre of Macao in digital format with visuals and text descriptions that can be downloaded by PDA for the convenient use of residents and tourists. Since the Historic Centre of Macao was listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List last year, the Cultural Affairs Bureau has enthusiastically undertaken the protection of these World Heritage sites and promoted them accordingly. The promotion leaflet of the Historic Centre of Macao and the Macao World Heritage Information Kit are popular with both local citizens and tourists, to the extent that it has become an important tool in raising tourists and residents’ awareness of the Historic Centre of Macao. The compact, portable PDA has become an instant technology hit. For facilitating enquiries about the Historic Centre of Macao, the Cultural Affairs Bureau has harnessed modern technology in the specially designed PDA route guide system. People who have access to PDA will have one more channel to get the background information and location of each site in the Historical Centre of Macao. The system is very convenient to use and is like a portable tourist book. ‘Exploring the Historic Centre of Macao’ PDA route guide system is available in traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Portuguese and English formats. The content comprises user interface directions, description on the universal value of the Historic Centre. of Macao, route guide, maps, albums, introduction and opening hours of each site, and relevant activities. The interfaces of the system are vivid, and its clear instructions make it simple to use. It is also equipped with a virtual mode for exploring the Historic Centre of Macao, which enables users to have a clear picture about the location of the sites. In addition, each site has an individual interface. Surrounding streets and areas are mapped out and the map can be magnified and reduced according to user’s needs for easy reference. Cultural Affairs Bureau encourages PDA users to make full use of the system to plan their most enjoyable and convenient route to explore the Historic Centre of Macao. At less than 5MB, the system can easily be downloaded and used via PDA. Download the ‘Exploring the Historic Centre of Macao’ PDA route guide for free either at www.macauheritage.net or at www.icm.gov.mo. Users are advised to register their e-mail addresses when downloading so that they can be informed of the latest information through their mailbox. Beside, there is a link for downloading the system on the website of Macao Government Tourist Office. Effective immediately, Cultural Affairs Bureau will continuously collect ideas and feedback to enrich the functions of the system