Government Headquarters to open to the public during the weekend
The Government Headquarters will open to the public during the weekend (17 and 18 October) from 9am to 6pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to join several family-friendly activities specially organised for this annual event. During the two days, members of the public will be welcomed 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 be guided tours of the ground floor of the Headquarters and a display in the Multipurpose Room of the Protocol Palace, titled “Photo Exhibition on ‘The Historic Centre of Macao’ as World Heritage”. There will additionally be a flower show under the theme “Joy of Family”. The highlight of the display will be the Calla Lily (or Zantedeschia aethiopica). The colourful blooms will be in the Protocol Palace, on the grass lawn, in flower racks and in the front yard. During the weekend, the backyard of the Government Headquarters will be turned into a children’s playground. It will feature colourful swings made from old tires, in a Government effort to promote reuse of waste and spread a green message. There will be live performances by the Macao Police Band and dance performances staged by students of the Macao Conservatory. The Macao Post will set up a temporary booth near the Nam Van Lake opposite to the Government Headquarters, selling commemorative items and offering decorative postmark cancellation. The Macau Government Tourism Office will also set up a booth there to distribute promotional materials. The programme additionally includes performances from the Nam Van Lake Cybernetic Fountain, operated by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau. Visitors can enter the Government Headquarters by the entrance on Travessa do Paiva, on the right side of the Protocol Palace. They should then follow the designated route, which includes visits to the Multipurpose Room and the Lotus Room on the ground floor. Walking up the marble staircase to the first floor, visitors can explore the Grand Hall, the Green Hall, the Yellow Hall and the Blue Hall. For the convenience of visitors, special traffic arrangements will be in force throughout the weekend in some sections of Travessa do Paiva. Drivers are urged to pay attention to the temporary traffic signs and follow police advice. 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 mobile application available for either Android or iOS portable devices using the keywords “Macau Open Day 2015” in either App Store or Google Play.