Chapas Sínicas Listed in Memory of World Register

Chapas Sínicas is one of the most important first-hand sources for the study of Macao history (Photo courtesy of Cultural Affairs Bureau)

On 30th October, UNESCO announced that the collection of Chapas Sínicas (Official Records of Macao during the Qing Dynasty (1693-1886)), jointly nominated by the Archives of Macao under the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and the National Archive of Torre do Tombo of Portugal, had been successfully inscribed upon the internationally recognised Memory of the World Register.

Chapas Sínicas comprises some 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 the documentation of Macao during the Qing Dynasty preserved in the National Archives of Torre do Tombo of Portugal.

Chapas Sínicas comprises official and non-official documents created mainly from the mid-18th Century to the mid-19th Century; namely, from the early reign of Qianlong to the late reign of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty. The largest part of the collection comprises official correspondence exchanged between the sub-prefects of Macao, magistrates of Xiangshan and other Chinese officials and the Procurators of the Loyal Senate of Macao during the exercise of Chinese sovereignty over Macao.

Part of the records, which contain the terms and limitations established for the Portuguese scope of administration of Macao, reports and petitions submitted by the Portuguese authorities based in Macao and the replies received from the Chinese authorities in Guangdong are a manifestation of the territorial and jurisdictional sovereignty of China over Macao. In addition, documents such as bills, letters, deeds, contracts and other documents associated with the social conditions, people's lives, urban development, trade and commerce, among others are included.

The Chapas Sínicas collection clearly reflects the special status and role of Macao in the world at that time. Macao - a major port for China's foreign trade and exchanges via marine traffic and other means of communication - was connected to the United Kingdom, France, Russia, the United States, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Brunei, the Philippines and so forth. Macao became a place where foreign vessels assembled and a convergence point of Eastern and Western culture.

In celebration of the successful inscription of the Chapas Sínicas on the Memory of the World Register, the two archives will jointly organise a series of archives exhibitions in Macao and Lisbon in 2018 and 2019, with commemorative stamps issued in both cities. These endeavours, which are expected to draw more attention to the cultural connotations of Macao's archives and documentations, are in line with the objective proposed by the Macao SAR Government to transform Macao into a 'City of Culture' and strengthen the cultural exchanges between China and Portugal.

The Memory of the World Register was established in 1997 and divided into three categories: international, regional and national. Documentary heritage inscribed on the international level is recommended by the International Advisory Committee and approved by the Director-General of UNESCO as per the criteria of world significance and outstanding universal value.