Golden Lotus Square

Golden Lotus Square

Golden Lotus Square is located between Avenida de Horta e Costa, Avenida de Bispo Medeiros, and Avenida da Amizade in Macau's new urban area. To celebrate the 1999 handover of Macau's sovereignty, the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China presented a sculpture named "The Lotus Flower in Full Bloom." There are two versions, large and small: the large sculpture placed in the square weighs 6.5 tonnes, stands 6 metres tall, and has a blossom with a maximum diameter of 3.6 metres; the smaller sculpture has a diameter of 1 metre, is 0.9 metres tall, and is displayed at the Macao Handover Gifts Museum.

The main body consists of the stem, petals, and heart of the lotus, cast in bronze and gilded on the surface. The base, shaped like lotus leaves, is made up of twenty-three layers of red granite, symbolizing Macau’s three islands. The lotus is the floral emblem of the Macao Special Administrative Region. The blooming, upright, and rising lotus symbolizes Macau’s everlasting prosperity.

Presentation On 20 December 1999, the People's Republic of China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macau and established the Macao Special Administrative Region. In light of this nationally (or internationally) significant event, the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China presented a sculpture named "The Lotus Flower in Full Bloom" in two sizes, symbolizing the continued prosperity of Macau. This is similar in meaning to the "Everlasting Blooming Bauhinia" sculpture gifted to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region during the 1997 handover of Hong Kong. The "Lotus Flower in Full Bloom" sculpture was installed on the square by engineering personnel on 17 December 1999, and the unveiling ceremony was presided over at noon on 20 December by the Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China in charge of Macau affairs.

The large "Lotus Flower in Full Bloom" sculpture placed in Golden Lotus Square is 6 metres tall, weighs 6.5 tonnes, and has a blossom with a maximum diameter of 3.6 metres, matching the dimensions of the "Everlasting Blooming Bauhinia." This signifies that the Central People's Government treats Hong Kong and Macau equally, regardless of size. The smaller sculpture has a diameter of 1 metre and is 0.9 metres tall (the extra 0.2 metres in height compared to the "Everlasting Blooming Bauhinia" symbolizes the number '9' in 1999), and is displayed at the Macao Handover Gifts Exhibition Hall.

The main body of the "Lotus Flower in Full Bloom" consists of the stem, petals, and heart of the lotus, cast in bronze and gilded on the surface. The base, shaped like lotus leaves, is made up of 23 layers of red granite, symbolizing Macau’s three islands. The lotus is the floral emblem of the Macao Special Administrative Region. The blooming, upright, and rising lotus symbolizes Macau’s everlasting prosperity. The entire design symbolizes that Macau is located within China’s territory and is part of the People's Republic of China. On the front of the granite base is a small plaque titled "The Lotus Flower in Full Bloom," with the inscription: “Presented by the State Council of the People's Republic of China to the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region” and the date of presentation, “20 December 1999.”

During major festivals in Macau, such as Chinese New Year, the National Day of the People's Republic of China, and the Macau Handover Anniversary, floral arrangements are placed around the granite base of the "Lotus Flower in Full Bloom" sculpture, while Christmas decorations such as poinsettias are displayed during Christmas.

The "Lotus Flower in Full Bloom" sculpture underwent maintenance from late November to early December 2007, during which it was enclosed with wooden boards as repair work was carried out.

Golden Lotus Square originally had no flagpoles or flag-raising ceremonies. However, in 2000, to celebrate the 51st anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Macao SAR Government, taking inspiration from the flag-raising ceremony at Hong Kong’s Golden Bauhinia Square, installed two flagpoles in the square in September of the same year. Golden Lotus Square held its first flag-raising ceremony on 1 October 2000, and it has since become an official, regular celebration for National Day of the People's Republic of China and Macau Handover Memorial Day.

The flag-raising ceremony at Golden Lotus Square is held daily at 8:00 AM, and the flag-lowering ceremony takes place at 6:00 PM. Both ceremonies are performed by six uniformed special police officers. During the flag-raising, the national anthem of the People's Republic of China is played, but no music is played during the flag-lowering.

On 3 May 2008, Golden Lotus Square in Macau was packed with an enthusiastic and jubilant crowd. At 4:05 PM, as torchbearer #8, Zeng Zhannan, arrived, the atmosphere reached a boiling point. Thousands of citizens waved the national flag and the regional flag of the Macao SAR, shouting “Go China,” “Go Beijing,” and “Go Olympics,” filling the entire square with a sea of joy and excitement.

On the barriers around the square and the lamp posts along the streets, Beijing Olympic flags in both Chinese and English, promotional boards featuring Fuwa holding the “Lucky Cloud” torch, and banners reading “Ignite Passion, Pass on Dreams” were intertwined like colorful ribbons, adding depth to the public's enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm ran high among local communities in all districts as they actively supported and welcomed the Olympic torch relay in Macau. Residents eagerly signed up for the welcome team to cheer for the torch. Previously, 20,000 Chinese national flags, Macao SAR regional flags, and [additional flags] had already been distributed. Among the over 3,000 residents at the scene, many had spontaneously purchased national and regional flags to welcome the Beijing Olympic torch at the square.

The golden lotus in the center of the square stood gracefully, while buildings outside the square were adorned with banners and slogans supporting the Beijing Olympics and welcoming the Olympic torch. One particularly striking and magnificent banner read “The Torch is in Macau!” and stretched from the rooftop all the way down to the ground.