To celebrate the China Cultural Heritage Day and the International Archives Day, the Macao Historical Archives under the auspices of Cultural Affairs Bureau present “The Times of Typhoons – Exhibition of Macao’s Archival Materials” in conjunction with related lectures. . The exhibition will be inaugurated at 6:30pm on 9th June 2014 at the Macao Historical Archives on Tap Seac Square and the exhibition is open to the public from 10 June to 7 December 2014. The exhibition was presided over by the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Mr. Ung Vai Meng; the President of the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau, Mr. Fong Soi Kun; and the Director and Member of Executive Committee of TDM, Mr. John Lai.

Macao is threatened and affected by typhoons in varying degrees from May to October every year, being the period from July to September particularly susceptible to typhoons. The catastrophic typhoon of 1874 is the typhoon that caused the most severe damage and highest number of casualties in Macao. The typhoon, which provoked devastating floods and fires, inflicted a heavy blow on the society and economy of Macao.

The exhibition will show historical records and documentation, photographs, real objects, maps and news footage of the catastrophic typhoon of 1874 and other major typhoons that struck Macao in the recent century. Many of the items on display are of high historical value, covering topics like the naming of typhoons, monitoring instruments, warning signals, typhoon attacks and disaster reliefs etc., to enable visitors to learn more about the impact of typhoons on Macao and give insight on the relation between urban life and natural disasters. Related lectures are also scheduled during the exhibition period to enhance the understanding of typhoons.

The public is welcome to visit the exhibition at the Macao Historical Archives on Tap Seac Square (open daily from 10:00am to 6:00pm, except on Mondays and public holidays). Admission is free . For enquiries, please visit the Macao Historical Archives official website: www.archives.gov.mo or call 28592919 during office hours.