The Macau Government Headquarters (; ), formerly Governor's Palace () is the official office of the

Chief Executive of Macau The chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (; ) is the head of government of Macau, a special administrative region of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. W ...

and has been since 1999. It is located in São Lourenço.

History

Built in 1849 by Tomás de Aquino, architect, for Alexandrino Antonio de Melo, 1st Baron do Cercal, the two story pink facade structure is one of the historic properties preserving Portuguese influence in

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

and located on Avenida da Praia Grande, in the St. Lawrence Parish. The building used Pombaline style imported from

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and popular in the 18th to mid 19th Century. The office is the former residence of the

Governor of Macau The governor of Macau (; ) was a Portugal, Portuguese colonial official who headed the Portuguese Empire, colony of Portuguese Macau, Macau, before 1623 called captain-major (). The post was replaced on 20 December 1999 upon the handover of M ...

(relocated to another residence further west at Macau Government House) and the offices of the governor prior to the handover in 1999. The building is surrounded by shops, residences and other office buildings. It is bounded by the roads Travessa Do Paiva, Avenida Dr Stanley Ho and Travessa do Padre Narciso. The northside is closed off by buildings. The main entrance faces Avenida Dr Stanley Ho and looks out to Nam Van Lake with the Superior Court of Macau Building and Macau Legislative Assembly Building in the distance.

Interior

The Government Headquarters has three wings and has undergone several reincarnations. Most of the interior is updated with modern features, but some original features have remained. The headquarters houses the Lotus Room (conference room of the Executive Council), a multi-purpose conference room and a pressroom. While the edifice and interior architecture is distinctly European, the building contains many Chinese wooden furniture and attractive ceramics.

Exterior

A large garden with various plants, fountains and trees are found in the rear of the structure. The garden design is a mix of European and Chinese styles.

Open Day

Two days a year it is open to visitors to discover the interior and exterior of the government office.

References

Government Headquarters to open to the public during the weekend
Government Information Bureau, 15 October, 2015 {{São Lourenço, Macau Official residences Landmarks in Macau Government buildings in Macau Government buildings completed in 1849 1849 establishments in China 1849 establishments in the Portuguese Empire 19th-century establishments in Macau Portuguese colonial architecture in China Classified immovable properties