Inscription of ‘Chapas Sínicas’ on Asia-Pacific Register of Memory of the World

Chapas Sínicas comprise 3,600 official documents exchanged during the 17th and 19th Century (Photo provided by Government Information Bureau)

The 7th General Meeting of the UNESCO Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) was recently held in Hue, Vietnam. Jointly nominated by the Archives of Macao and the National Archive of Torre do Tombo in Portugal, the collection of 'Chapas Sínicas' (Official Records of Macao During the Qing Dynasty /1693-1886) was recommended by the MOWCAP Register Subcommittee formed by experts. The motion was approved by unanimous vote by the participating member countries at the meeting in Vietnam for listing on the MOWCAP register.

Chapas Sínicas comprises 3,600 documents, including over 1,500 official letters written in Chinese, five books of Portuguese-translated copies of the letters kept by the Loyal Senate of Macao, and four packets of miscellaneous documents. The Chapas Sínicas collection is composed of official and non-official documents created mainly from the mid-18th Century to the mid-19th Century. The largest part of the collection comprises official correspondence exchanged between the sub-prefects of Macao, magistrates of Xiangshan and other Chinese officials as well as the Procurators of the Loyal Senate of Macao during the exercise of Chinese sovereignty over Macao.

A portion of the records contain the terms and limitations established for the Portuguese scope of administration in Macao, reports and petitions submitted by the Portuguese authorities based in Macao, and the replies received from the Chinese authorities in Guangdong, all a manifestation of the territorial and jurisdictional sovereignty of China over Macao.

Records which consist of accounts, letters, deeds, contracts and other documents are reflections on the social conditions of society at the time, people's lives, urban development, industrial and agricultural production, trade and commerce, etc. Also featured in the collection is the official correspondence between the Chinese and Portuguese authorities under the special circumstances when Macao was leased to Portugal. The Chapas Sínicas collection, which is closely associated with the fonds of Leal Senado (Loyal Senate) preserved in the Archives of Macao, contain first-hand information of great value for the study of Macao history and the history of East-West relations. It was brought to Portugal in the 19th Century and later transferred to the custody of the National Archive of Torre do Tombo.

Recently, the two archives have completed their submission procedures for the inscription of Chapas Sínicas on the Memory of the World Register, the result of which will be announced in 2017.

In addition to the collection of Chapas Sínicas other important 'memories of the world' will be added to the register; namely, the Archives and Manuscripts of the Macao Kong Tac Lam Temple (1645-1980); the 'Archives of the Confucius' Family of the Ming and Qing Dynasties' (China); and the 'Archives of Suzhou Silk Samples of Modern and Contemporary Times' (China).