Officiating guests at the ribbon-cutting ceremony
The exhibition “Reflections of Maritime Connections: 16th-19th Century Sino-Portuguese Cultural Exchange” was inaugurated today (7 November 2025) on the 4th floor of the Macao Museum of Art. The opening ceremony was officiated by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Leong Wai Man; the Deputy Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Bai Bing; the Counsellor and Director of the Department of Information and Public Diplomacy of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Gao Yuan; the Deputy Director of the Palace Museum, Wang Yuegong; the Counselor of Consulate General of Portugal in Macao, Manuel Ricardo da Silva; the Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office of the Macao SAR Government, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes; the Vice-President of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Foundation, Zhong Yi Seabra de Mascarenhas; the representative of the National Museum of Ancient Art, Rafael Alfenim; the representative of the Orient Foundation, Joana Belard da Fonseca; the representative of the Ajuda Library, Fátima Gomes, and the Director of the Macao Daily News, Lok Po.
The exhibition features a selection of 177 precious items/sets from the Palace Museum, museums and cultural institutions in Portugal and the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government. Divided into three sections including “Dawn of the Porcelain Road”, “Cultural Exchange in Porcelain” and “Dialogues between Courts”, the exhibition comprehensively showcases the multifaceted cultural exchanges of the private and public trade between China and Portugal through the Maritime Silk Road from the 16th to 19th centuries, highlighting the unique position of Macao as a hub between the East and the West for cultural convergence. The exhibits include exported porcelain shards unearthed in Macao, as well as porcelains produced and inherited in both China and Portugal, embodying the cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Portugal during that period.
In order to enrich the visiting experience, the exhibition features a multimedia interactive area, panoramic visuals and QR code audio guides. A series of educational activities will be also held during the exhibition period. On 8 November, a lecture titled “Paths of Blue: The Influence of Chinese Porcelain on Portuguese Ceramics from the 16th Century Onwards” (conducted in in Portuguese with simultaneous interpretation in Mandarin) will be held. Limited seats are still available and onsite registration can be made. From 15 to 23 November, the “Youth Printmaking Workshop” dedicated to motifs of Guangcai and Qinghua porcelain, as well as the “Guangcai Porcelain Painting Workshop” hosted by Lei Iat Po, a master of Macao’s intangible cultural heritage, will be held for Friends of MAM. Registration for the above activities is now open. Interested parties can register through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account (activity.mo.gov.mo/activity-h5/) and apply for membership. In addition, the performance “Music in MAM” will be held on 9 November and 21 December, at 4pm, in the exhibition hall. The public is welcome to enjoy. During the exhibition period, prize games will also be launched, and participants will stand a chance to win limited-edition cultural and creative products such as “Hand-painted Gold-embroidered Guangcai Cup with flower and bird patterns designed by Lei Iat Po”, “Fridge magnet badge with blue-and-white phoenix patterns”, or exclusive collection cards.
The “Reflections of Maritime Connections: 16th-19th Century Sino-Portuguese Cultural Exchange” is held until 8 March 2026. From 15 November onwards, guided tours in Cantonese will be available on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
The exhibition is jointly organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and the Palace Museum, co-organised by the National Museum of Ancient Art, the Orient Foundation and the Ajuda Library, supported by the Macao Foundation, the Macao Government Tourism Office of the Macao SAR Government and the Macao Daily News, and implemented by the Macao Museum of Art.
The Macao Museum of Art is open daily from 10am to 7pm (last admision at 6:30pm), including on public holidays and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free.
For more information about the exhibition and activities, please visit the MAM’s website at www.MAM.gov.mo and the “Macao Museum of Art” page on Facebook.
