Since Macao's return to the motherland, art pieces created by local artists have made their first exposure in the Chinese Art Museum, and Macao people can seethe first local production of dance drama and the performance of the first local Symphony Orchestra, said Ho Lai Chun da Luz, director of the Macao Culture Institute.

"We have set our strategy on promoting culture and art to fuel up tourism and the general culture and art level of the city," said Ho in an interview with Xinhua Wednesday.

The Culture Institute of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government sponsored to set up the first professional musical band in Macao -- the Macao Symphony Orchestra in 2001, and helped to put on stage the first local production of drama -- "Macao Bride" in 2002.

"Macao boasts over 400 years of history featuring a blending of oriental and Western cultures, which is still vividly manifested in the city's architectures and art," said Ho, a native of Macao.

To better protect and exploit the cultural heritage, the SAR government submitted an official application to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2002for the listing of its 12 cultural relic sites as the World Cultural Heritage.

Ho said that the short-listed sites, including the A-Ma Temple, the Ruins of St. Paul Church and the Mandarin's House, were recommended as a whole under the name of Macao Historical Architecture Clump. It has been inscribed on top of China's list of eight cultural sites running for UNESCO's World Heritage selection for 2005.

The year 2004 has been named the "Year of Macao's Cultural Protection," when the SAR government will invest heavily to renovate the historical buildings and facilitate tourist facilities around the sites, Ho said when elaborating the Culture Institute's priority work for the next year.

She said that the Culture Institute sponsored local artists to go to the eight candidate cultural sites to carry out artistic creation last year, and select 269 art pieces from some 1,000 entry works sent by 183 local artists to put on show. Some of the exhibits taken in forms of calligraphy painting, posters, prints and photography have been housed by the Chinese Art Museum.

The endeavors have greatly excited the creativity of local artists, who can apply for the government's funding support in October every year to carry out their plans for the next year.

"Macao has established its own platforms to showcase outstanding art pieces by local artists. Both the annual Macao International Art Festival in March and the Macao International Music Festival in October have had over 10 years of history and won an international fame," said Ho.

Macao is a nonstop stage for year-round cultural and art activities from boisterous street shows to exquisite art exhibition, which has contributed to honor its reputation as a tourist Mecca, said Ho.

"Although Macao has organized a professional orchestra band, there are many cultural resources left to be tapped from literature, operas, choirs and among others, which needs professional cultural and art organizations to develop. The Culture Institute will do its utmost to nurture the endeavor," said Ho.
 
(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2003)