The Macao Foundation’s online platform ‘Macau Memory’ has been recognised by the World Heritage Institute for Training and Research for the Asia Pacific Region (WHITRAP) for its success in promoting the SAR’s history and culture through technology, according to a statement issued by the foundation.
Macau Memory is an online, multimedia archive of historical resources ranging from old photos and postcards to recorded interviews with noteworthy figures. It aims to preserve SAR’s traditional culture, enhance public awareness of the city’s heritage and foster people’s emotional ties with Macao. The Macao Foundation noted that the project’s website had seen more than 3.8 million visitors since its launch in 2019.
WHITRAP, a UNESCO-funded organisation, presented Macau Memory with a Star of Discovery at the 2024 Global Awards for World Heritage Education Innovative Cases (AWHEIC) last week. The ceremony was part of the ongoing 46th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee, held in New Delhi, India.
[See more: Macao has listed six new cultural heritage sites]
The AWHEICs recognise “heritage education cases with contemporary exemplary significance around the world”, according to WHITRAP’s website. They were launched in 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention.
Ten Stars of Discovery were awarded as part of AWHEIC in total – most to projects hailing from the mainland. Twenty other stars, either Stars of Outstanding or Stars of the Future, were also awarded, including to two Hong Kong-based projects: the Tiger Balm Metaverse Platform for Collaborative Learning and the Nutcracker-A Hong Kong Adventure.
The president of the Macao Foundation’s board of directors, Wu Zhiliang, noted that winning a Star of Discovery in 2024 held “significant meaning” due to a trifecta of milestones being held this year. Namely, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the MSAR, and the 40th anniversary of the Macao Foundation.
