The City University of Macau and Macau Documentation and Information Society Co-organized the Historical Archives Exhibition of Macao in Ming and Qing Dynasties –“Archives Witnessed the Vicissitudes of This Small Town in One Century”

In order to let our teachers and students have a better understanding of Macao's history in Ming and Qing dynasties and the value of the archives, CityU Library and Macau Documentation and Information Society, with the support of the First Historical Archives of China, held the Historical Archives Exhibition of Macao in Ming and Qing Dynasties from October 15, 2018 to November 16, 2018. The exhibition has put dozens of precious archive replicas and historical pictures and materials. Organizers hope to present the originality, authenticity and authority of these archives to show Macao's history through CityU Library's Memory of the World Knowledge Centre (UNESCO).

University Librarian Shi Li Mei said that CityU Library, as an important carrier of history, is committed to promoting historical sources and providing references for researchers. The archives on this exhibition have recorded the development of Macao's history and national memory with great academic value and practical functions. At the exhibition, 66 pictures and 35 archive replicas were displayed to let visitors personally experience these precious archives, immerse themselves in the history and feel the development and essence of Macao's culture. The exhibition allowed teachers and students to experience and understand the Macao's historical archives more directly and closely.

Helen Ieong, Director of Macau Documentation and Information Society, noted that this exhibition is divided into two parts by time--Macao from Ming to the early and middle Qing Dynasty and Macao after the Opium War. Mainly based on the Ming and Qing archives and books and classics of the First Historical Archives of China, this exhibition used the first-hand materials to reflect the various historical facts, such as the governance of Ming and Qing government on Macau, western missionaries and cultural exchanges between China and the West, and how patriots safeguarded Macao's sovereignty. She also mentioned that it is a great honor for this exhibition to get supported by the First Historical Archives of China. The selected archives are diverse and extremely valuable with a wide range, including the official documents and manuscripts of the Ming dynasty, the maps, imperial edicts, emperor's daily life records, memorials to the throne commented by the emperor, cabinet historical records, copies of memorials made by the Grand Council, telegraph files, official notes, and treaties of the Qing dynasty.

The archives in this exhibition reflected that Macao was the hub and transit port between the East and the West in the late Qing dynasty and the early Qing dynasty, and it was also the bridge for the exchange of science, technology and culture between the East and the West. Visitors can read Macao's four-hundred-year history since the Ming dynasty through these archives, which is an unforgettable and precious memory. Hence, through these treasures, people can witness the history more directly, better understand Macao's development and deepen their love for Macao and China.

Opening hours for the Historical Archives Exhibition of Macao in Ming and Qing Dynasties: Monday to Friday: 8:30AM - 9PM, Saturday: 9AM - 6PM. You are welcomed to visit the exhibition in the Library of the City University of Macau. Tel.: 85902960.