Macau Yearbook 2013 - Macao Yearbook

Macao Yearbook 2013the years, including by the late celebrated Ayrton Senna and motor racing champion MichaelSchumacher. Valuable pictures and trophies are also exhibited.Macao Museum of ArtThe Macao Museum of Art is the only museum in Macao dedicated to art and cultural heritage. Itis also the largest visual arts museum in Macao.In 2012, the Macao Museum of Art held more than 30 exhibitions and conducted more than100 activities.Library of the Macao Museum of Art and the Art SquareThe Library of the Macao Museum of Art is a reference library specialising in arts materials. It hasa collection of over 20,000 books, primarily about visual arts.Pawnshop MuseumIn partnership with a non-governmental organisation, the Government has established the firstmuseum dedicated to the pawnshop industry. The opening of the Pawnshop Museum in March2003 marked the success of a new mode of heritage protection.Built in 1917 as the Tak Seng On Pawnshop, the museum building consists of a pawnshopand a storage tower. The three-storey pawnshop and its relics offer visitors a clear picture of thepawnshop’s layout and operation in its heyday.In September 2004, the Tak Seng On restoration project was awarded an Honourable Mentionin the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation. The project wasawarded the title of Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) of World Expo Shanghai 2010, demonstratingto the world Macao’s fruitful efforts in conserving and recycling historic buildings. The museumreceived 14,572 visitors during 2012.Treasure of Sacred Art of St Joseph’s SeminarySt Joseph’s Seminary was established by the Jesuits in 1728. For more than two centuries, it has madea significant contribution to training Catholic clergymen engaged in missionary careers in Macao,the mainland and Southeast Asia. For this reason, it was bestowed the title of “Royal Seminary”.Crypt and Museum of Sacred ArtBetween 1990 and 1995, the former Portuguese administration conducted archaeological excavationand repaired the Ruins of St Paul’s (the Church of Mother of God or Mater Dei), and built theMuseum of Sacred Art and Crypt on the site of the grave of Father Alexandre Valignano, the founderof St Paul’s College, according to the research findings.278