A plan to protect Macao’s cultural and heritage sites, which has been ten years in the making, is set to be implemented from 1 June, the Cultural Affairs Bureau said yesterday.
The bureau (also known by its Portuguese initials IC) said that the initiative is aimed at “a broader and more systematic preservation and management of the HIstoric Centre of Macao” through the setting of specific guidelines and regulations.
To this end, the plan categorises the various heritage sites into 11 “visual corridors,” 19 “scenic streets” and 24 “urban fabric” zones.
Each of these zones will come under a set of guiding principles that have been drawn up to safeguard the integrity of their buildings. These regulations relate to areas such as construction restrictions, sustainability, assessment of impacts on heritage and criteria for architectural restoration. They affect 22 buildings in the city’s historic centre.
[See more: After 10 years, a plan to safeguard Macao’s heritage sites is nearly complete]
In its statement, IC said that the implementation of this plan allows for “further and more detailed juridical assurances in support of the preservation and management of the HIstoric Centre of Macao.”
Experts have praised the plan, with local architect Lui Chak Keong telling TDM earlier this year that “there will be a more positive control over the architectural environment or the landscape within the district.”
Development of the plan can be traced as far back as 2014 when the government launched a public consultation. Another round was held four years later before it was announced this January that the measures would be implemented pending approval from UNESCO.
On 15 July 2005, the Historic Centre of Macao was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. In total, the district is made up of 30 buildings and sites, including Senado Square and the Ruins of St. Paul’s.
