The University of Macau (UM) held the “Museum Development Forum in Greater Bay Area” on Friday, coinciding with the opening of the “Regarding Books” exhibition.
The event’s opening ceremony was held at the university’s library, with the exhibition located on the first floor. In attendance were central and local government officials, UM Rector Song Yonghua, and representatives from 13 museums across the Greater Bay Area (GBA), including from Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Foshan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, Huizhou, and Zhaoqing.
The forum facilitated discussions on several key topics. Participants explored the impact of rapid technological advancements on the future of museums, considering how emerging technologies could enhance visitor experiences and improve preservation techniques.
Another focus was on strengthening exchanges within the Greater Bay Area’s cultural and museum sectors. Attendees discussed strategies to foster collaboration, share resources, and create a more interconnected museum network across the region.
The revitalisation of small-scale museums was also a point of discussion. Experts shared ideas on how to breathe new life into smaller institutions.
Lastly, the forum addressed the relationship between university museums and education.
Book exhibition
The “Regarding Books” exhibition features over 50 rare Chinese and Western books selected from the UM Library’s collection. Enhancing the visitor experience, a video section presents pre-recorded introductions to various books by university professors specialising in relevant fields.
While the exhibition does not adhere to a specific theme, the displayed books are antique, rare, and of significant historical value. A considerable number of these treasures have been donated to the university.
Visitors can explore the exhibition at the Exhibition Hall on the first floor of the UM Wu Yee Sun Library (E2). The exhibition is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until August 31. Admission is free, and guided tours are available on-site and by appointment.
For more information and details about the exhibition, please visit: https://library.um.edu.mo/museum/en/
A Dictionary of the Chinese Language
“A Dictionary of the Chinese Language” is the world’s first bilingual English-Chinese and Chinese-English dictionary. It is also the earliest Chinese book to utilise Western movable type printing technology. Compiled by Robert Morrison, a Protestant missionary to China, it was printed at the Macau printing factory associated with the British East India Company and published between 1815 and 1823.
The government of Greater Germany (1938), Lead movable-type printing
This book is one of the early authoritative works on the Nazi German government, providing an analysis of the political system in a historical context. It was written by James Kerr Pollock, a well-known American scholar of German politics.
Legatio Batavica Ad Magnum Tartariæ Chamum Sungteium, Modernum Sinæ Imperatorem (1668), metal movable type printing (“Dutch Embassy to the Great Cham of Tartary, Modern Emperor of China”)
Dutch traveller Johan Niehof, drawing from the records of the Dutch East India Company’s delegation during their 1655 visit to China, documented the sights and experiences from their approximately 2,400-kilometer journey from Guangzhou to Beijing in this book. Published in Amsterdam in 1665, the book garnered significant attention across Europe.
Benoît Bible: La saincte Bible: contenant le Vieil et le Nouveau Testament, ou, la Vieille et Nouvelle Alliance… (1566) (“Benedict Bible: The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments, or, the Old and New Covenant”)
Bound in embossed calfskin with elaborate floral tooling and corner reinforcements, representing a luxurious binding technique of exceptional beauty for its era. This exceptionally rare Bible edition was authored by French priest René Benoît (1521-1608), who served as confessor to Mary, Queen of Scots, and King Henry IV of France.
Preclarissimus liber elementorum Euclidis perspicacissimi: in artem geometrie incipit quam foelicissime (1491)
(“The most excellent book of the elements of Euclid, the most perspicacious: in the art of geometry he begins most happily”)
Vellum (“Fleece”), metal engraved plate printing; Incunabulum (“Cradle”)
Euclid’s Elements is the first known work in the history of mathematics to establish a logical deduction system using axiomatic methods. It summarises the achievements of the development of ancient Greek mathematics. It is not only the most precious legacy of ancient Greek civilisation, but also one of the most valuable assets of human civilisation. Its popularity is said to be second only to the Bible. The version purchased by the University of Macau Library is a reprint printed in Vicenza, Italy in 1491.
Photos taken recently by William Chan
