Moon Chun Memorial College Dom Pedro V House Cultural Excursion
滿珍紀念書院Dom Pedro V House 文化之旅
On September 20, 2023, Dom Pedro V House of the University of Macau’s Moon Chun Memorial College organized a Cultural Excursion to foster connections among its members and promote house culture. This activity aimed to enhance students’ knowledge about Macau and the history of Dom Pedro V Theatre, so that they would have a greater sense of belonging to the House and a greater love for Macau as a place they are currently residing. The activity provided students with an opportunity for reflection and cultural exploration, giving them a deeper understanding of the history of Macau.
James Ho and Along Chan introducing the Municipal Affairs Bureau to participants.
During the 2.5-hour excursion, participants walked through a total of 10 sites under the hot sun. These sites included Praça de Ferreira do Amaral, Senado Square, Leal Senado Building, Holy House of Mercy of Macau, St. Dominic’s Church, St. Augustine’s Square, Sir Robert Ho Tung Library, Dom Pedro V Theatre, St. Lawrence’s Church, and Lilau Square. RA Along Chan, along with house members James Ho and Raymond Ng, introduced the historical significance of each of the 10 sites along the route.
Raymond Ng explaining the Lilau Square attraction.
The student guides not only provided information about the history of the sites, but also shared incidents happened in the past. For example, they mentioned the serious police-citizen conflict known as Motim 1-2-3 that took place in Senado Square, resulting in at least 8 deaths and over 200 injuries. They also highlighted the Holy House of Mercy of Macau, which was the first Western-style hospital in China and played a significant role in charitable work and the advancement of Western medicine in China. The students found these stories captivating and expressed their desire to learn more about Macau upon their return.
Participants listened attentively to the lecture.
The main event of the day was the visit to Dom Pedro V Theatre. This theatre was the first Western-style European-style theatre that showcased the very first movie ever shown in China. The theater aims to bring culture and performance to the people, providing a space for relaxation and cultural experiences amidst busy lives. The seating arrangement in the theatre forms a shell shape with 276 seats, and a staircase leads up to the second floor where crescent-shaped VIP seats are located. In its early years, the theatre also housed a restaurant, bar, ballroom, and billiard room, offering opportunities for dance, cocktails, and dinner parties.
The interior decoration and seating arrangement of Dom Pedro V Theatre taken during the visit.
Through this excursion, participants gained a profound understanding of the charm of Macau. Despite its small size, Macau holds immense value and meaning in terms of culture and history.
Text: Ngan Long CHAN
在2023年9月20日, 滿珍紀念書院Dom Pedro V House組織了”Dom Pedro V House文化探索之旅”。此次活動旨在讓學生更瞭解澳門和崗頂劇院的歷史，讓他們對House更有歸屬感，並更喜愛澳門這個地方。該活動為學生提供了一個思考和文化探索的機會，讓他們對澳門的歷史有更深的瞭解。
陳銀龍和何啓邦正在為民政總署大樓作講解
在兩個半小時的時間裡，團隊頂著烈日一共探訪了十個標誌性建築。它們分別是亞馬喇前地、議事亭前地、民政總署大樓、仁慈堂大樓、玫瑰堂、崗頂前地、崗頂劇院、何東圖書館大樓，聖老楞佐教堂和亞婆井前地。途中，樓層助理陳銀龍分別和院生何啓邦和伍衛民為大家作講解。
陳銀龍和何啓邦正在為民政總署大樓作講解
在兩個半小時的時間裡，團隊頂著烈日一共探訪了十個標誌性建築。它們分別是亞馬喇前地、議事亭前地、民政總署大樓、仁慈堂大樓、玫瑰堂、崗頂前地、崗頂劇院、何東圖書館大樓，聖老楞佐教堂和亞婆井前地。途中，樓層助理陳銀龍分別和院生何啓邦和伍衛民為大家作講解。
伍衛民正在為亞婆井前地作講解
他們除了介紹每個地標的歷史，還會為大家介紹一些有趣的小故事，例如議事亭前地發生的1-2-3警民衝突。在衝突中至少有8人死亡，200多人受傷。仁慈堂大樓是中國第一間西式醫院，除了從事慈善工作，還建設了育嬰堂、痲瘋院、老人院、孤兒院等機構。它還是中國西醫學的啟蒙地方。同學們對這些故事很感興趣，並表示回去之後會查找更多關於澳門的小故事。
學生們聚精會神地聽講
而當日活動的重頭戲就是崗頂劇院，它是中國第一座西式歐風劇院，也播放了中國第一部電影。這座劇院的目的是將文化和表演帶到民間，作為一個供人們在繁忙生活中歇息的場所，讓人們能夠在忙碌中找到片刻的悠閒。因此，這裏不僅僅是一個劇院，更是澳門人和澳門葡人休閑、體驗文化的重要場所。觀眾席呈貝殼形排列，共有276個座位，而樓梯通往二樓，二樓上方則是月牙形的貴賓席。在早些年間，劇院還設有餐廳、酒吧、舞廳和桌球室等設施，可舉辦舞會、酒會、餐會等活動。
文: 陳銀龍