2024 Beijing-Macao Photography Exhibition was inaugurated at the Macao Tower

On September 25, in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland, the Heritage across Cities, Prosperity in Bloom — 2024 Beijing-Macao Photography Exhibition was inaugurated at the Macao Tower. The event also served as a tribute to the successful application for the World Heritage status of the Beijing Central Axis. The exhibition was jointly hosted by the China Foundation for Cultural Heritage Conservation (CFCHC), the Beijing Central Axis Protection Foundation, the General Association of Macau Beijing Organization, and the Shun Tak Holdings Limited. Ms. Ho Chiu King, Pansy Catilina, President of the General Association of Macau Beijing Organization, Managing Director of the Shun Tak Holdings, Vice Chairperson of the CFCHC, and Member of the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Mei Song, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of our Foundation, and Wang Ying, Deputy Secretary-General of the CFCHC, attended the opening ceremony. Representatives from the Beijing Overseas Friendship Association, the Agency Service Bureau of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, and the Beijing Women’s Federation were present at the opening ceremony and provided on-site guidance.

The exhibition centered on the Beijing Central Axis: A Building Ensemble Exhibiting the Ideal Order of the Chinese Capital, and the Historic Centre of Macao. Both of them are listed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List. It featured 100 photographic works captured with meticulous care and 42 paintings crafted with dedicated creativity after thoughtful selection. Through the arts of photo-taking and painting, the exhibits showcased the World Heritage sites that have withstood the test of time yet remain brilliantly extraordinary in Beijing and Macao. It is hoped that this exhibition will promote the protection and sharing of world cultural heritage, and allow more people to know and understand the precious common cultural heritage of humanity.

At the opening ceremony, the Beijing Central Axis Protection Foundation presented a scroll of the Central Axis to the General Association of Macau Beijing Organization. The scroll, measuring 7.8 meters in length, symbolizes the 7.8-kilometer Beijing Central Axis. It was created over four months by students of Beijing No. 3 Middle School, under the guidance of teacher Zhang Weilan and assistant Wang Zhicheng.

Mr. Mei Song presented the Letter of Appointment as the Public Welfare Image Spokesperson for the Beijing Central Axis Protection Foundation to Ms. Ho Chiu King, inviting her to jointly participate in and contribute to the protection and preservation of the Beijing Central Axis cultural heritage.

The two cities celebrated dual anniversaries, composing a new chapter together. The sentiments of Beijing and Macao towards the motherland are inherently connected. Living in cities that value inheritance and are full of warmth and vitality, people work together with one heart to build a beautiful home and live a happy life. This exhibition aimed to leverage outstanding photographic works to expand the reach of communication, enhance cultural exchanges and cooperation between Beijing and Macao, boost the cultural diversity of Macao, disseminate the fine traditional Chinese culture to the world, and tell well the stories of Beijing and Macao, and the wider China.