UTM undergraduates visited the Macao Museum as part of their courses on“Studies on National Regime and Macao SAR” and “Macao Studies”, to deepen their understanding of the city’s history and development. The museum, a partner of the courses, provided immersive-learning opportunities on topics such as traditional industries, local history, and cultural heritage
Undergraduates from UTM recently toured the Macao Museum. A series of seven visits aimed at deepening their understanding of the city’s history and development. The participants were students enrolled on bachelor’s degree programmes conducted in English and taking the courses on “Studies on National Regime and Macao SAR” and “Macao Studies”.
These field trips, organised during the second semester of the current academic year, saw the participation of approximately 230 students in total.
Introduced in the 2022/2023 academic year, the courses on “Studies on National Regime and Macao SAR” and “Macao Studies” are mandatory and cover three main areas: history, law, and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Course lecturers regularly organise field trips to enhance – through immersive exploration – students’ understanding of Macao’s historical and socio-cultural context.
The Macao Museum, one of the city’s largest, has been a pivotal supporter of the two UTM courses from their outset. The museum extensively showcases Macao’s history and diverse culture. It plays an active role in promoting the research, protection and display of the city’s unique cultural heritage. It is also a founding member of the Greater Bay Area Alliance of Museums, established in November 2023.
The latest UTM student visits were conducted in Cantonese and Mandarin, with English booklets available to accommodate all students. Guided by museum staff, students toured various exhibition areas, receiving detailed explanations through interactive question-and-answer sessions and multimedia displays.
The exhibits explored covered Macao’s early history, Sino-Portuguese trade, religion, the Maritime Silk Road, local life, traditional culture, and urban development.
A particularly noteworthy aspect of the visit was the opportunity for students to learn about Macao’s waning traditional industries. The “Traditional Industries” exhibition area featured models of various traditional shops, such as herbal tea shops, bakeries, and firecracker factories. While many of these industries have faded due to modernisation, those that remain have adapted significantly, preserving the cultural essence integral to Macao’s heritage.
Students responded positively to the activity, with many expressing opinions that the experience had enriched their appreciation of Macao’s vibrant culture and history. They expressed a desire to participate in similar initiatives in the future.
Course lecturers integrated the museum visit content into assignments, aiming to facilitate practical learning in what they termed – in reference to the Macao Museum – a “second classroom”.
Content: Leanna Joe Ching Lam, UTM Tourism Business Management student; UTM Assistant Professor Jim Luo Yixin, Faculty of Creative Tourism and Intelligent Technologies
Editor: UTM Public Relations Team
