A Journey Like a Song: Macao Museum Next to the Ruins of St. Paul's

On New Year's Eve, we spent a total of seven hours in Macao, only touring the small peninsula. What impressed me the most was not the MGM Cotai Museum or the Tree of Prosperity at Wynn Macau, but the Mount Fortress Garden and Macao Museum next to the Ruins of St. Paul's. The Macao Museum happened to have an exhibition of cultural relics from the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties. New Year's Eve happened to be a Tuesday, so we got in for free. The "Heavenly Wind: Cultural Relics of the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang Dynasties" exhibition invited 14 museums to participate, including the Shaanxi History Museum, the Museum of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang, the Hunan Museum, the Hebei Museum, the Gansu Provincial Museum, the Yangling Mausoleum of Han Emperor Jingdi, the Famen Temple Museum, the Xianyang Museum, the Zhaoling Museum, the Qianling Museum, the Liyang Ancient City (Qin Bamboo Slips) Museum in Longshan County, the Chang'an Museum in Xi'an, the Baoji Pre-Qin Cemetery Museum, and the Xunyi County Museum. The exhibition features 100 (sets) of cultural relics from the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang dynasties, with a wide variety of rare and precious items. The cultural relics on display are not only witnesses to the development of Chinese civilization, but also valuable assets for all of humanity, having a profound impact on the progress of world civilization. Through exhibits such as Zhou bronze ritual vessels, Qin terracotta warriors, Han figurines, and Tang tri-colored figurines in four exhibition areas, the public can learn about the ritual and music systems, military strength, craftsmanship, and cultural and artistic achievements of each dynasty. The exhibition is equipped with multimedia interactive devices and videos, enriching the public's viewing experience and guiding them to understand the historical evolution and cultural connotations of each dynasty in a simple and easy-to-understand way. The "Heavenly Wind: Cultural Relics of the Zhou, Qin, Han, and Tang Dynasties" exhibition will run until March 16, 2025, and the public is welcome to visit. The Macao Museum is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (ticket sales stop at 5:30 pm) and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free for Macao ID cardholders, and the museum is open to the public for free on Tuesdays and the 15th of each month.