Feature: Macao's museums boosted by tech innovations, interactions with visitors

MACAO, May 18 (Xinhua) -- Standing on a podium and holding high golden "trophies", a grey-haired couple posed with laugh at the Macao Grand Prix Museum of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR).

After the "award ceremony", the couple also experienced motorcycling on screen, photographing in the virtual costumes of their favorite racers, and "maintenance" of the racing vehicles.

"These interactive experiences make the whole visit very special and unforgettable," said the wife, a Macao resident surnamed Chan, who chose to come to the museum on Wednesday, the International Museum Day, for free.

The museum said it received nearly 900 visitors on Wednesday thanks to the free ticketing policy and promotional activities, such as interactive games and gifts with unique elements of the museum.

The Macao Grand Prix Museum is among the over 30 museums scattered in Macao that showcase the city's unique culture and history over the past four centuries where the East meets the West.

Li Xi, executive associate dean of the Faculty of International Tourism and Management of the City University of Macao, said the origin of museums in Macao can be traced back to a museum of maritime affairs and fishery founded in 1920 when Macao was still under the Portuguese rule.

"After Macao's return to the motherland in 1999, museums of various subjects mushroomed, including museums of maritime affairs, telecommunications, as well as museums of historical figures, history and arts," he said.

Macao's museums of night watches and Ne Zha, a Chinese mythological figure, embody typical Chinese cultural elements, while museums of Catholic arts and Portuguese-style residences display the heritage of Western culture in Macao, according to Li.

Exhibits at more comprehensive museums such as the Macao Museum and the Macao Museum of Art show the historical process of integration between Eastern and Western cultures in the city.

According to a survey released by the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) under the Macao SAR government, the popularity of visiting museums among all cultural activities rose 60.6 percent among local residents in the second quarter of 2021.

This year, in celebration of the International Museum Day themed "The Power of Museums", about 20 museums in Macao will jointly host a carnival on May 29, offering interactive activities to the public, such as treasure hunting at the Handover Gifts Museum of Macao and a virtual journey of maritime spice trade at the Maritime Museum.

In May, the Macao Government Tourism Office organized a series of workshops at museums. The Macao Museum of Art, for example, offered painting workshops to children aged between five and 10, where teachers guided the children through exhibitions of the museum and taught them to paint.

George Leung, one of the students, said this special course was very attractive because it not only helped him better understand the exhibits, but also taught him to integrate the painting skills into his own works.

The office said it encourages museums to keep innovating and inject vigor into the tourism market.

"The different museums of Macao provide multiple choices for tourists and help increase their understanding about Macao's history and culture, becoming an important source of unique memories," said Li.