Macao: great strides made in past decade
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"Macao has achieved great progress during the past decade especially in culture," according to Lee Shing Cun, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Macao Daily News.
There had been pessimistic feeling about Macao's future due to a lack of available activities apart from gambling. Macao also had problems with public order which were resolved by the police.
Lee explained that the only cultural symbol in the past was a bookstore opened in January 1, 1950 and some visiting art troupes from the mainland.
Since sovereignty of Macao was returned to China, performances and exhibitions are booming. Many sites in Macao have been identified as having intangible cultural heritage and government appropriated funds have been used for restoring historical relics including the former residence of Zheng Guanying, the Macanese author of Bold Predictions, Stern Warnings.
Progress has also been made in education. There was no university until a private one called "Eastern Asian University" was established in 1980. The government later bought the university and opened it to the public. It was renamed the "University of Macao".
Macao now publishes 70 newspapers and magazines (including 9 daily papers) in different languages, including Chinese, Portuguese and English. And every year, art festivals and music festivals are held, inviting well-known art troupes, ballet groups from both home and abroad.
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