Historical Bent
Much more to Macau than visitors realise
MACAU’ s historical heritage is being highlighted in a new initiative by MGTO to show visitors an alternative to the cabaret shows and five-star extravaganzas.
This latest move to show tourists the cultural aspects of Macau is being spearheaded with the opening of the Tourism and Cultural Activities Center( CATC), also known as the“ Yellow House”, next to the famous Ruins of St. Paul’ s.
With several new features added in March, the Tourism and Cultural Activities Center combines such diversity as Chinese tea, Portuguese cuisine and design, and a number of Made in Macau products, with innovative interactive displays for adults and kids alike to give detailed information on Macau and its attractions in a fun and lively way. This has seen the“ Yellow House” attract more and more tourists and visitors every day.
The innovative displays include pressure carpets that allow children to trace their way around Macau“ on foot” while highlighting attractions and events on the virtual Macau map. There is also a childrens’ bookstore with volumes of Macau history aimed at younger ages and a“ picture board” where visitors
can have their picture digitally imposed on a Macau heritage site, tourist attraction or scenic backdrop.
Information boards adorne the“ Yellow House” walls to highlight tourist attractions, hotels, restaurants, events and everything that is going on in Macau.
The“ Yellow House” also promotes the“ Eastmeets-West” influence, one of the experiences most visitors seek when they come to Macau; the unique blend of Chinese and Portuguese culture that makes Macau such a special place.
Two of these“ blends” sited in the Yellow House are Something About Tea, a traditional tea-house, and Lusitanus, a coffee shop run by the Portuguese association Casa de Portugal, where you can also find cuisine and design products.
Something About Tea, with its catchphrase:“ To you, from you, with you”, aims to drive you to relaxation with a cup of the most popular Chinese teas. The teahouse is owned by the same company that administers the famous Macau Tak Seng On Pawnshop, which is also a heritage site in the city centre.
This Chinese-style tea-art showroom encourages visitors to discover the traditions of tea and taste
different teas and popular snacks, while also learning more about Macau. It also provides a comfortable venue for tea-related seminars and demonstrations of different methods of tea preparation, which the Macau Tourist Office encourages to allow visitors and locals to interactively learn and enjoy the culture of tea the opportunity to buy some of their favourite types of tea, handcrafted goods and souvenirs( Opening hours: 10:00 to 19:00, closed on Tuesdays.).
The coffee shop, Lusitanus, is the Portuguese flavour inside the“ Yellow House”, hosting a“ Find Portugal in Macau” theme. The Portuguese association Casa de Portugal was invited to open the coffee shop, which now serves Portuguese espresso(‘ bica’) and the famous Portuguese egg-tarts( pasteis de nata), while also featuring Portuguese guitar music.
Portuguese television is also featured prominently and the coffee shop boasts a Portuguese chef and Portuguese( or Portuguese-speaking) waiters. Nearby there is a speciality gourmet shop offering a variety of wine, tea, coffee, cheese, olive oil, honey, sausages, olives and regional sweets, as well as a handicrafts and design area that displays and sells works of art, handcrafted goods and products designed by local and Portuguese artists( Opening hours: Monday to Saturday- 11:00 to 19:00; Sunday- 10:00 to 19:00).
These are two major attractions inside the building and heavily populated by visitors to the Ruins of St. Paul’ s, who also visit the Macau Creative Pavilion.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau and local creative groups jointly operate the pavilion, which hosts exhibitions and showcases various cultural industries that the Macau Government is developing. An example of this was when Macau and Hong Kong designers jointly created 16 unique