Amid a final stage of preparations for the World Heritage bidding, Macao is making a global promotion of its cultural assets, which would upgrade the city's tourist value in addition to the gaming and amusement industry.

The beauty of Macao, where westerners first landed 400 years ago, was densely embodied in 12 cultural relic sites that the local government has listed as a package in its bidding for the World Cultural Heritage.

Macao's bid has been designated as China's only nomination to apply for the World Heritage selection of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2005.

The 12 priceless cultural heritage sites including China's oldest church, Christian cemetery, lighthouse and western theater were inscribed in Macao's bidding under the name of the Macao Historical Architecture Clump for the World Cultural Heritage.

The cultural sites scattered in Macao's urban areas are among the oldest, best preserved and largest European-style architecture clumps in China. They together blazon a typical architecture manner borrowed from southern Europe, the building materials and details of interior decoration of which, however, reflect obvious oriental features.

"Macao's World Heritage bidding should not only focus on the promotion of the designated sites, but also a face-lift of all 128 spots of cultural values around the city to give visitors an overall picture of Macao's 400-year history," said Heidi Ho Lai Chun da Luz, president of the Macao Culture Institute.

Over the past five years, the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) government has appropriated 100 million patacas (US$12.5 million) in cultural protection funding, which went to the refurbishment of 20 cultural sites on average every year, he said.

The year 2004 has been named as the "Year of Macao's Cultural Protection," when the SAR government appropriated a more heavy funding than a normal year for renovating historical buildings and tourist facilities around the sites.

Ho said that among the 12 listed sites, 11 spots are under refurbishment and maintenance so that the heritage value can be better protected and exploited.

The Macao SAR government's conservation work has begun to pay off. The restoration of the Tak Seng On Pawnshop, a 19th-Century building was awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2004 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards in October this year. With the prize, UNESCO recognized the restoration effort and the commercial development of the cultural reserve.

Next year, all the conservation and development work of the historical buildings will be completed. The Mandarin's House, the largest ancient residence in the Pearl River Delta region in south China, which covers 3,700 square meters, is expected to take the longest time. The finishing touch of the repair will be done by the end of next year.

The cultural sites are frequent stage settings for international artists coming to Macao. The scenery and performance together present Macao residents and tourists a genuine visual satisfaction.

Along with the tourist attractions, the gaming city enjoys an unique upmarket elegance in promoting tourism. In the first half year, Macao received 7.73 million visitor arrivals, which exceeded the total number of the whole year's counting in 1999. In the first 10 months of this year, the number amounted to 13 million, which was 1.8 million more than that recorded for the whole of last year.

(Xinhua News Agency December 9, 2004)