Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, inaugurated today (Wednesday) the “Base of the Education of Love for the Motherland and for Macau for Young People” so that they “increase their national conscience and their patriotism”.
“The Basis of Love Education for Motherland and Macao was designed to allow young students in Macao to have a deeper understanding of Chinese history and culture, to acquire comprehensive knowledge about the development of the country and Macao and to increase their national conscience and their patriotism ”, said Ho Iat Seng, at the space inauguration ceremony.
“When young people are strong, the country is strong; when young people are prosperous, the country is prosperous. Young people are the new dynamic in the development of the Macao SAR and also host to the future of the country. We are committed to strengthening the awareness of the national identity of young people in Macau, their connection to the nation and their sense of belonging national”, he stressed.
The space, located in Macau’s Transfer of Sovereignty, has several teaching resources that include a thematic interactive teaching area, a Chinese culture room, a corridor for the history of the country and Macau and a multimedia room with patriotic teaching materials, where Chinese history and culture are exhibited over five thousand years, China’s development successes, Macau’s history and patriotic education, using diverse forms, such as the recreation of real objects, among others.
Right after the entry, it is possible to see several interactive tables referring to the huge evolution of indicators such as improving the life of the population, the quantity of industrial and agricultural products, the revenue of the Chinese GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ‘per capita’, in the period between 1952, a few years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and 2018.
On the first floor, in an area of almost 500 square meters, there is the interactive educational exhibition area, where thematic exhibitions of culture, art, history, science and technology are on display.
There is also a space for holding workshops and another on the history of Macau over time: the Ming and Qing dynasties, World War II and the return of the territory to the motherland.
The second floor is occupied by a museum of lights with audiovisual material that, among others, shows the history of Macau as a region administered by Portugal.
In his speech, Ho Iat Seng recalled that during the visit to Macau of the President of China, Xi Jinping, last December, for the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the “return to the homeland”, the Chinese leader after attending a class of Chinese history, “emphasized the importance of this discipline and encouraged young students in Macao”.
Ho then highlighted Xi Jinping’s words: “To establish a solid basis for patriotism, we must understand the story. As Chinese, we must understand our nation’s history ”.
The head of government also left the promise that the territory “will persist in the constant reinforcement of the actions of the education of love for the Motherland and for Macau” for young people.
“We will encourage, in particular, schools, youth associations and civil organizations to make full use of this Base to provide young people in Macao, in conjunction with existing courses and regular education, with more educational activities that promote in-depth knowledge of Macau, traditional Chinese culture, the National Constitution and the Basic Law”, he stressed.
Only in this way will it be possible, “to train a new generation of young people for Macao and for the Motherland, committed to serving the Motherland, with its ideas and capabilities, a sense of responsibility and openness to the world”, to train.
