An evening stroll begins, as the dance performance raises the curtain on the second annual experimental cultural heritage tour.
Jointly organised by Macau Heritage Ambassadors Association and Macao Ieng Chi Dance Association, it aims to lead us on a nostalgic path, passing through various time-honoured places around the city.
Dancers move softly, fluttering long silk sleeves perfectly to accentuate their hand and arm movements. Inspired by fire, they dance gracefully under the moonlight in front of the Ruins of St. Paul’s.
Each of us is given a headset to listen with on the tour in order to minimise any unnecessary disturbance and distraction.
A little girl, blowing soap bubbles that float through the air, shimmering in a myriad of beautiful colours, meets us walking down the stairs in Calçada do Embaixador, as we listen to one of the poems written for the tour:
“We always have worldly worries
deep in our soul and lasting forever.
Right now why don’t we slow down our pace?
Just stand still, don’t move, stop,
listen to time ticking as if we’re travelling into the past.
“Time stops, it was hundreds of years ago,
we woke up like a child,
wiping our eyes and staring at
the austere Oyster-mirror Inlet – old Macau.
We enjoy a walk in the fog
as if we’re adventurers”
The poetry invites listeners to take a stroll down memory lane and question our urban development. Large paintings, mounted carefully on old broken walls along the way, depict a blossom tree nurturing her babies, providing a delight in life.
“This is our first time to combine poetry and contemporary arts together with a heritage tour,” says Lao Cho Wa, the project director. “We hope to show a different face of Macau.”
Based on the history of the various areas, the tour creatively connects old streets by presenting the stories of their past in the form of poetry and art, leaving room for our imagination to wander.
“The stone brick stairs today
are the rock cliffs of yesterday.
You, child, behave recklessly, walk on the cliff side,
and ignore what’s in front of you – the slippery moss.
“Waves are still slapping fiercely
until the sea runs dry and the rocks crumble.
Our road evolves step by step
in the midst of the crowd.
“We saw no street lights, no shadows
after sunset in our old days
without irritating frauds
even if we’re desperate for life.
“This is the story
recalled by a noodle shop owner next to you
and passed from generation to generation,
word by word, verbally.”
Dark and desolate, many lanes seem to be abandoned and forgotten in the midst of today’s rapid pace of life. Different stories are told along the tour, provoking our collective memory of an old neighbourhood.
We walk to Pátio da Eterna Felicidade, the name of which literally means ‘Lane of Forever Happiness’. But all flowers wither eventually, and the place looks so bleak, even haunted as dozens of street cats hide and cry hoarsely in dark corners.
“When I’m here, I only see a ghostly and deserted land. It forces me to rethink what happiness is,” says Hope Chiang, the artistic director. “It reminds me of the importance of seizing today.”
As the tour goes on, the place lights up. A row of old photos hung on a thin steel cable depict a time when Macau was still an unknown village. Four actors invited to play mah-jong create a fun and friendly atmosphere.
This intriguing installation recalls voices from the past, joining with our own and adding to the layers of harmony.
According to Lao, all the artists in the performance first read all about the history of the areas and poetry that has been written for the tour. They then select one place which inspires them most and where they feel an emotional attachment.
A dancer, moving like a phoenix, plays around with hundreds of light bulbs scattered all over the ground by St Anthony’s Church. She dances swiftly, turning the bulbs on and off with the soft touch of her toe.
Her dance is inspired by a storm that brought three days of rain and claimed 5,000 lives in 1874. The flood was everywhere and people lost their direction in the dark. It was only when the church caught on fire suddenly, that they were able to get their bearings and climb to the top of the hill and survive the flood.
Having moved to Macau over a decade ago, Taiwan-born Chiang has been questioning herself about how she feels about the city.
“Each day our life is like a rat race. Most of our time we either stay at home or go to office, back and forth. In what circumstances do we visit the heritage sites and appreciate their charm?” Chiang asks.
“Our emotions for our home city are fading as we grow. It seems we just don’t have time and energy to connect ourselves to its heritage. We’re always too busy and too tired to feel more,” Chiang says.
“But heritage also has its own emotions. It is just like our friend. We both coexist in the city and should grow together,” Chiang concludes.
“The shoreline is lost to human erosion
while the lovely fishing boat harbour
disappears at an alarming rate;
Neighbours are no longer friends
and don’t greet each other.
The colours of life fade away."
“Only a mischievous child
with a brush in one hand and paints in the other
attempts to gild all marks
left with the passage of time
yet fails to remove any kisses
shyly marked by oysters yesterday”
