Six new properties have been added to the government’s list of cultural heritage sites, according to Secretary for Administration and Justice Andre Cheong, whose statement during a press conference last Friday was cited in various media reports.
The six inclusions include the Chio Family Mansion, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial House, the old slaughterhouse at Barra, a temporary customs post in Coloane Village that was previously a public health station, as well as buildings along Avenida do Coronel Mesquita that served as dormitories for civil servants and Macau Post and Telecommunications employees.
With the addition of the six, which were first proposed a year ago, the official list of cultural heritage sites has increased to 165.
[See more: After 10 years, a plan to safeguard Macao’s heritage sites is nearly complete]
Leong Wai Man, the director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (known by its Portuguese initials IC), noted during the press conference that two of the properties would be open to the public.
“Actually, the former slaughterhouse at Barra has already been included [for visits by the public],” Leong said. “The second building is the Chio Family Mansion…we will do a series of restoration works later on, and then open the building to the public.”
Leong said that more than 600 properties had been assessed for inclusion on the list of cultural heritage sites so far. She added that sites receiving the designation are not always accessible to the public since many of them are privately owned.
