Welcome to Macau-China Digital Library
Holding 16th–19th century Portuguese texts, essential to Macau’s history and its pioneering role in West-China relations
How it started?
The idea of creating a multidisciplinary association of Chinese studies in Portugal arose spontaneously, among some of the participants, at the “China and Europe” event, organized within the scope of the Arrábida Meetings, in May 2005.
An informal steering committee — comprising Carmen Amado Mendes, Dora Martins, Jorge Tavares da Silva, Renato Roldão, Rui d'Ávila Lourido, Rui Pereira, and Zélia Breda — was formed to coordinate preparations for the creation of the Observatory for China.
The founding members elected the first governing bodies by secret vote in Aveiro in December 2005. The Observatory was publicly presented on July 5, 2006, in Lisbon, and its incorporation deed was finalized in November and published in the Diário da República, III Série, no. 246, on 26/12/2005.
Book of plans of all the fortresses, cities and settlements of the State of East India (17th Century) by Bocarro, António, 1594-1642?; Resende, Pedro Barreto de, 15--?-1651, co-autorObservatory for China - Association for Multidisciplinary Research in Chinese Studies
The Observatory for China carried out a broad range of activities, from cultural to scientific, both in Portugal and internationally, aiming to encourage the exchange of experiences and the discussion of ideas.
These efforts also included the publication of materials in hardcopy and digital formats. As a result of its work, the Observatory was awarded the 2012 Culture Prize by the Chinese Community, through the League of Chinese in Portugal.
The Observatory for China currently brings together members from various Portuguese universities and regions, spanning from Porto to the Algarve, along with international collaborators based in Brazil (Salvador) and China (Beijing, Shanghai, and Macau). Its membership is notably diverse, comprising senior and junior researchers, former ambassadors, university officials, scholars, economists, directors, journalists, filmmakers, and business experts.
What's its mission?
It promotes multidisciplinary research on China, fosters a national research network, organizes events, cooperates with various entities, monitors China’s developments, and publishes academic work in hardcopy and digital formats. To see the webpage click here.
Macau-China Digital Library
Created by the Observatory for China with the National Library of Portugal, it is supported by UCCLA and sponsored by Macau Foundation.
The Macau-China Digital Library features fully digitized Portuguese texts from the 16th to 19th centuries, focusing on Macau’s historical role in bridging East and West. The collection includes descriptions of continents and seas navigated by the Portuguese, with most pages covering Europe, Africa, and America, and fewer dedicated to Asia.
What's in the collection?
The Macau-China Digital Library is a key resource for studying the history and heritage of Africa, Brazil, and the East. It offers a user-friendly, visually appealing digital format with free online access, allowing searches by author, title, publication date, and new additions.
The Macau-China Digital Library, currently in its 4th phase, offers around 200,000 pages of books, manuscripts, periodicals, and cartographies in four languages: Portuguese, Mandarin, English, and French. It provides easy access for students worldwide, supporting research across continents. This platform serves as a pedagogical tool, offering immediate access to historical sources that were previously difficult to access. Digitizing these works also helps preserve them for future generations.
The integrated pieces also highlight the shared history of Portuguese-speaking countries such as Angola, Brazil, and Mozambique, as well as connections across the coasts of Africa, the Americas, and Asia. They reflect a pioneering role in the transfer and mutual influence of technical-scientific knowledge — including botanical, medicinal, geographical, and cartographic — as well as political, social, and cultural ideas between the Western world, Europe, and especially China. You can access the online library under this link.
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Your first Culture Weekly will arrive this week.