Macau at the 1940 Exhibition of the Portuguese World

Neutral in World War Two, Portugal sought to project itself through the Exhibition of the Portuguese World, which opened in 1940 and continued on through 1941 in Belém, Lisbon. Apparently three million visitors passed through the turnstiles.If popular fiction about Lisbon at the time is to be believed most were probably spies swapping secret documents….

The exhibition was inaugurated on June 23 of 1940 by the Head of the Portuguese State, Marechal Carmona and the soon to be dictator Oliveira Salazar, who held the position of President of the Council (and soon to become head of the whole country).

Macau was a big deal at the exhibition – the guide book for the exhibition mentions “Macau Road” – ‘Turning right and going downhill, you follow the Macau Road on which has been recreated a busy street typical of the Portuguese city in China.’ Macau Road was close to similar exhibits on Timor and Mozambique. This is all now the Garden of Ultramar and the entrance to the Road still exists…

Nearby a “Colonial Restaurant” served typical meals prepared by Chinese and African cooks. Within Macau Road was also a permanent exhibition of the works of the painter Chiu Shiu Ngon. Now the source I saw may have the name wrong, but I can’t find any references to this painter – so if anyone knows anything do let me know….