Government Headquarters at a Glance

Located on Avenida da Praia Grande, the Government Headquarters measures about 8,900 square meters. It comprises five buildings: the Protocol Palace, the front and rear blocks of the Government Headquarters Administrative Building, the Government Headquarters Affairs Bureau Building, the office building on Travessa da Paiva, and the grounds and gardens.

Built in 1849, the Protocol Palace became the then Macao Governor’s official residence when he purchased it in 1881. The building would continue to serve as the office of his successors for years to come. The Protocol Palace was renovated to its present appearance after the Macao Special Administrative Region was formally established.

The exterior of the Protocol Palace is characterized by its southern European architectural style while its interiors are enriched with a harmonious blend of Chinese and western cultures, evoking classic and modern traditions. The ground floor houses the Executive Council’s Meeting Room, the Multi-function Room, the Lotus Room and more. On the upper floor are the Chief Executive’s office, the Green Room, the Yellow Room, and the Blue Room. The Chief Executive and the Secretaries usually receive guests and hold meetings in this building.

Overlooking the Protocol Palace is the Government Headquarters Administrative Building. The front block is a seven-storey construction facing Rua de S. Lourenço while the rear block is a four-storey glass structure. The Government Headquarters Affairs Bureau Building stands on Rua da Imprensa Nacional and the auxiliary offices are housed in the yellow six-storey edifice on Travessa da Paiva.

This is the venue for events of varying scale, such as press conferences, news briefings, forums and official signing ceremonies. It is also the place where the Chief Executive or the Secretaries meet with large delegations. For example, Macao athletes usually hold farewell ceremonies with the Chief Executive before they set off for competitions.

Formerly a chamber used by the Legislative Assembly, it was converted into a multi-function room when the Government Headquarters Building underwent renewal and renovations after the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region. The Multi-function Room, equipped with advanced conference facilities, is where important meetings with local and foreign dignitaries are held.

Every year, soon after the Chief Executive delivers the Policy Address in the Legislative Assembly, he holds a press conference in this Multi-function room where he answers questions from the media. The Executive Council's spokesperson also holds regular press conferences here.

Named after the lotus motif on the ceiling, this is the room where the Chief Executive receives his guests. Lotus is the thematic design of the regional flag and emblem of the Macao Special Administrative Region. Although the Lotus Room and the Green Room on the upper floor are different in size, they perform similar and complementary functions. The Lotus Room is ideal for the reception of delegations and groups of smaller sizes while the Green Room can accommodate larger delegations or groups. When the Chief Executive participates in online forums or events held in neighboring regions, the speech videos are recorded in this room.

The Grand Hall also serves as a waiting area for entourages and media representatives when visiting guests and the Chief Executive are in meetings. The bespoke rosewood furniture set in the Grand Hall was made in Guangdong during the late Qing and early Republican era. The essence of this furniture set is its exceptional craftmanship which displays the perfect harmony of western sophistication and Chinese elegance. The surface of these bespoke pieces is glazed with Fujian raw lacquer to enhance its gloss and durability.

The centrepiece of the Grand Hall is a large round table with a surface inlay of red root marble from Dali, Yunnan. The western-structured design is a hybrid of aesthetics and practicality. The border of the three-legged pedestal table is adorned with hollow foliage scrolls embellished with images of deer, a Chinese symbol of fortune and prosperity. The motif of the engraved pedestal is deer and peony, which are symbols of wealth in ancient China. The predominant design of this unique piece of furniture is in western style but the local Guangdong materials, decorative concepts and craftmanship used reflect its Chinese characteristics.

Matching the round table are four Chinese round stools ornamented with sunflower rims. The stools are also surfaced with inlaid red root marble. The marble surface is cool in summer while seat cushions can be used in winter. The flared legs of the chairs are popular elements of western furniture. The legs are craved with beast's heads, a common door knocker motif in ancient China, and lion claws, a popular decorative element in western furniture. As both engravings suggest power in their respective cultures, this furniture set exhibits an expression of power and cultural exchange between China and the west.

The back of the Grand Hall is accented with two identical side tables with western structural and functional features. The side tables are ornamented with an amalgamation of western scrolling foliage and traditional Chinese flower garlands. The tables' fronts and sides are graced with a ubiquitous decorative motif which is a collage of flowers featuring peonies and lotus while the corners are trimmed with delicate sunflower engravings. The two identical side tables capture the essence of auspicious integration of Chinese and western elements used in ornamental furniture.

A Guangdong-style rosewood palace furniture set is symmetrically positioned on both sides of the Grand Hall. The bespoke set consists of eight armchairs with footrests and four tea tables which could be dated back to the late Qing and early Republican years. Each piece of the set is delicately decorated with hand-crafted mother-of-pearl inlays. The marble inlays on the backrests and armrests are hand-painted with Chinese ink-and-wash painting featuring mountains and clouds while these marble surfaces can keep the furniture comfortable and cool during the summer. The exquisite details of the entire set of furniture present an elegant ambience.

The signature decorative technique used in the armchairs is hollow carving. The armchairs' backrests are adorned with mother-of-pearl inset in the shape of the Eight Immortals’ emblems which denote the power to ward off evil forces. In addition, the hollowed-out ruyi scepter is inscribed with the Chinese character shou (which literally means longevity) in mother-of-pearl and crowned with a bat, denoting happiness, longevity and fortune. The decorative patterns on the armrests feature peaches, which is a symbol of fertility, and bottle gourds, which are homonyms of "happiness" and "prosperity" in Putonghua.

The tea tables are ornamented with mother-of-pearl inlays in the shape of peaches, pomegranates and ruyi scepters inscribed with the Chinese character shou. These decorative motifs symbolise fortune, fertility and prosperity.

The distinctive elements of Guangdong traditional furniture encapsulated in this phenomenal rosewood palace set is two-fold. On the practical level, it is functional and durable; on the symbolic level, it represents prosperity, splendour and elegance.

It is in this modern décor chamber where the Chief Executive holds meetings with distinguished guests and visiting delegations. On the upper part of the wall to the right hangs a photographic reproduction of the horizontal scroll of calligraphy written by former President Jiang Zemin. Gifted to Macao on 18 December 1999 before the handover, the scroll reads “Usher in a new era for Macao”. It also symbolises Macao entering a new era of stability and prosperity as the sovereignty of the city was returned to the motherland. In accordance with protocol practices, the Chief Executive's seat is to the right of the regional emblem.  Senior officials of the SAR Government are seated in the first row, while interpreters and other duty officers are seated in the second row.  To the left of the regional emblem sits the leader of the visiting delegation.  Members of the delegation and their officers are seated in the first and second rows respectively.

Major ceremonies, such as swearing-in and agreement signing ceremonies, are held in the Yellow Room.  The Yellow Room is accentuated with a set of Chinese furniture featuring a six-legged round table and matching chairs, all adorned with delicate dragon engravings.  The set is a typical example of Guangdong rosewood furniture in terms of construction and design.  Other than the plain tabletop and chair seats, every inch of the entire set is decorated with exquisite hollowed out ornamentation and sophisticated carving.  The intricate details of this furniture set showcase classical Guangdong craftmanship at its finest; coupled with the unparalleled craftsmanship of this furniture set made during the late Qing dynasty and early Republican period was a lofty unheard of price tag.

In fact, the décor and furniture in the Yellow Room reflect the significance of the administrative ceremonies that take place in this venue.  Contracts and agreements are inked on the Chinese six-legged round table.  The thematic motifs of the table are dragons and fish-transforming-into-dragons symbolising power, and the peony ornaments on the upper section of the six-legged structure symbolise fortune and honour.

The predominant decorative motifs of the matching chairs are dragons and lion claws, which also symbolise power.  The chair lateral is adorned with bottle gourd engravings to denote happiness and prosperity, while the high back is decorated with a round emblem featuring the image of fish in a lotus pond to symbolise surplus and bountiful harvest every year.  These decorative embellishments can also be interpreted as the Government's wishes for its financial reserves and the prosperity of Macao society in general.

The Blue Room is where formal occasions hosted by the SAR Government are held. The Yellow Room and the Blue Room can be connected and used in conjunction.

The walls are decorated with typical Portuguese blue-and-white porcelain tiles and the carpet on the floor is accentuated with matching blue-and-white borders. The dignified and elegant ambience of the Blue Room provides an ideal location for protocol events. The core decorative motif of the sideboards, console tables, flanked by matching chairs are western cabriole legs highlighted with scrolling foliage ornaments, creating a balanced unity in the chamber. Decorative items are placed in this room to add oriental touches to the western ambience of the chamber. Highlights of these art items include: an assortment of punch bowls, a large contemporary multi-coloured porcelain bowl locally produced in Macao, and a pair of blue-and-white lidded jars.

The Government Headquarters Garden is composed of two sections: the Protocol Palace Back Garden and the Protocol Palace Side Garden.

At the centre of the Back Garden is a circular pond. Portuguese cobblestones are paved around the pond to create a concentric pattern. The vinyl fence stands between the garden shed and the Side Garden to enclose the garden shed and achieve landscape coherence.

As one descends from the Side Garden, the pergolas, the staircase and the lawn all blend in to create a stroll of tranquility. The symmetrical structure of the garden is a sight of spectacle: two parallel rows of royal palms planted along the horizontal axis while the koi pond and the lotus pond are connected to define the vertical axis.