CityU participates in successful inscription of Archives and Manuscripts of Macau Kong Tac Lam Temple on UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register

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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) held the 216th Executive Board session in Paris and resulted in the unanimous approval of new inscriptions to the International Register of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme. Notably, the “The Four Treatises of Tibetan Medicine” and the “Archives and Manuscripts of Macau Kong Tac Lam Temple (1645–1980)” nominated by the National Archives Administration of China were among the successful inscriptions.

The “Archives and Manuscripts of Macau Kong Tac Lam Temple (1645–1980)” was successfully inscribed on the Asia-Pacific Register of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme. After that, the Macau Documentation and Information Society and the Memory of the World Knowledge Centre – Macau at the City University of Macau continued to work on the project and submitted the application for the the International Register of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme in July 2021. This historical collection is of great significance and recognized by the world as shared memory of humankinds. In addition, this batch of historical materials is extremely valuable and has been recognized by the international community as a common cultural heritage of humanity. It fully demonstrates Macao’s cultural heritage and is an important achievement of culture, adding a new symbol of a culture for Macao, China, and even the world.

With the strong support of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme's Education and Research Subcommittee and the National Archives Administration of China, CityU and the Macau Documentation and Information Society jointly established the World Knowledge Centre – Macau at the CityU’s Library. As the first UNESCO-recognized global academic center for the Memory of the World Programme, the Centre aims to advocate the preservation and sustainable utilization of local documentary heritage, strengthen exchanges with the international community, organize academic activities for archival research and education, and foster communication and exchange between local and neighboring regions with the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme.

Since its establishment, the World Knowledge Centre – Macau has been dedicated to promoting the Memory of the World Programme among students and the younger generation. Through various activities such as exhibitions, seminars, and training, the Centre aims to enhance their awareness and management skills towards documentary heritage. These efforts have been widely supported by society.

Furthermore, the Centre encourages society groups and individuals to collect and donate historical documents to advance local documentary development and international exchanges. The successful inscription of the Archives and Manuscripts of Macau Kong Tac Lam Temple on UNESCO’s Memory of the World International Register is a testament to their dedicated efforts in promoting the conservation and development of precious archival documents in Macao.

With the support of prominent community members, the reformist Buddhist Master Guanben founded the Kong Tac Lam Temple in 1942. The temple was the first Buddhist college for women in Southern China's Lingnan area and also established a girls' school. The collection, which dates from the late Ming Dynasty to the mid-20th century, comprises over 6,000 precious volumes of archives and manuscripts from the temple's collection, including rare books, manuscripts, letters from intellectuals and prominent figures, calligraphy and paintings, old photographs, and Bayeux Scripture, with a small amount dating back to the late Ming Dynasty.

The collection contains a wealth of historical materials, including letters from Chinese patriot Liang Qichao, manuscripts from Chinese Buddhist Master Yinguang, archives from the family of the founder of the Nanyang Brothers Tobacco Company, and regulations of the Buddhist college for women. These documents bear witness to the unique and extraordinary role of the temple in disseminating Buddhist teachings and ideology for women in Macao, mainland China, and neighboring countries, particularly in advocating for the liberation and elevation of the social status of women, the development of Chinese Buddhism, and world peace.

Currently, there are 15 Chinese inscriptions on the International Register of UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme, including “Golden Lists of the Qing Dynasty Imperial Examination”, “Qing Dynasty Yangshi Lei Archives”, “Ben Cao Gang Mu – Compendium of Materia Medica)”, “Chinese Oracle-Bone Inscriptions”, and “Documents of Nanjing Massacre”.