The Historic Monuments of Macao |
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http://www.sina.com.cn 2004年06月30日06:05 人民网-人民日报海外版 |
Macao's on-going application proposal represents auniquechapterinHumanHistory,providingsolidtestimonytothefirstlastingencounterbetweentheWestandChina. WhileprovidinganidealpassageforintroducingwesternscientificknowledgeandconceptsintoChina,MacaowasalsoresponsibleforchannellingChinesethoughtandculturebacktoEurope,ultimatelycontributingtowardstechnologicandsocialadvancementintheWestaswell.Atthesametime,Macaobecameastrategicbaseforreligiousmissionsthroughouttheregion,providingconditionsforawiderculturalinterflowbetweenChinaandEurope. DuringthelateMingandearlyQingdynasties,manyCatholicmissionariesenteredChinaviaMacao,activelyengaginginreligiousworkandvariousotherculturalactivities. ThesemissionariescamefromdifferentEuropeanreligiousorders,suchastheDominicans,theyalsocontributedtoMacao'sprofileasaplacewheredifferentculturesandideascouldmeet. Architecturally,MacaoalsoinheritedtheexperienceofGoaanddevelopeditfurther,addingnewdimensionstooverseasPortuguesearchitecture,bymixingelementsofthelocalChinesecultureandotherregionalinfluences,blendingtoproducetherichtexturewerecognizeinthecity'sexceptionalheritagelegacy. Ingeneral,Macaohasalwaysbenefitedfromastablesocialenvironmentandthepeacefulco-existenceofdifferentcultures.Inturn,thishasassistedtheconservationofthelocalculturalheritage,mostimportantlyinmaintainingasenseofintegrityinthecity'shistoriczoneswiththeenduringauthenticityofthelocalarchitecturalmonuments. TheHistoricMonumentsofMacaoarethemostnotableexampleofMacao'smulticulturalidentity,presentingtheoldest,mostcompleteandrichestEuropeanarchitecturallegacystandingintactonChineseterritorytoday,auniqueproductofSino-Westernculturalinterflowandassimilationforoveraperiodof450years. Indeed,theheritagecomplexespresentedrevealWesternconceptsofurbanplanningwhichwouldbedifficulttofindinanyotherpartof,ChinafortheyareastrongreflectionofMacao'sidentity. ThisgroupofoutstandingmonumentsstandswitnesstotheuniquehistoryofMacao,reflectinghowitevolvedovertimeaswellastheculturalpluralismanddiversityofthelocalcommunity.Mostsignificantly,TheHistoricMonumentsofMacaostillplayanintrinsicroleintheeverydaylivesoftheresidents.TheirprideintheiruniqueculturalheritagehascometosymboliseMacao'sownspiritofharmoniousco-existenceandthelocalpeople'saspirationsanddesires. 《人民日报海外版》 (2004年06月30日 第四版) |