Handover Gifts Museum of Macao
Handover Gifts Museum of Macao
4.5
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
791 within 5 kms
Attractions
348 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
22 reviews
Excellent
12
Very good
9
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Brad
Hong Kong, China1,80,009 contributions
May 2013 • Couples
The Handover Gifts Museum (free entry) is a surprisingly very good collection of 56 gifts given to Macau on the 20 of December 1999 in recognition of the territory returning to Chinese possession under the form of a Special Administrative Region.
This attraction is regularly visited by the mainland Chinese tours of Macau but is generally unknown to Western and non-Chinese visitors. This is unfortunate as the museum offers a genuinely unique collection of Chinese works.
While there is a temporary gallery, it is the main Handover Gifts Gallery that most come to see. Here you will find 56 auspicious gifts from the various regions, city and ethnic groups of China. They are large and very well designed, reflecting the various cultures, regional styles and artistic skill found throughout China. Many of the pieces are quite impressive, well worth spending time to inspect and admire. During our recent visit, we spent just over an hour in the main gallery.
Unfortunately there is no audio guide to accompany you while visiting the gallery, which could greatly improve the overall visitation experience. However, each piece is accompanied by a decent information panel, describing where the piece comes from, how it was made and what it represents so you won't feel lost while viewing the various gifts.
In the end, this is a remarkable collection and rare opportunity to see a comprehensive body of outstanding Chinese works under one roof. You do have to compete with busloads of mainland Chinese tourists that come to visit but they usually stay for no more than 10-15 minutes before returning to their buses to depart. As such, you have moments of total seclusion as well when visiting the Handover Gifts museum. We love it when that happens, making one of our very favorite museum stops in Macau.
The Handover Gift Museum is located next to the Macau Art Museum (MAM), just a few minutes walk from the Sands Hotel on the Macau peninsula.
This attraction is regularly visited by the mainland Chinese tours of Macau but is generally unknown to Western and non-Chinese visitors. This is unfortunate as the museum offers a genuinely unique collection of Chinese works.
While there is a temporary gallery, it is the main Handover Gifts Gallery that most come to see. Here you will find 56 auspicious gifts from the various regions, city and ethnic groups of China. They are large and very well designed, reflecting the various cultures, regional styles and artistic skill found throughout China. Many of the pieces are quite impressive, well worth spending time to inspect and admire. During our recent visit, we spent just over an hour in the main gallery.
Unfortunately there is no audio guide to accompany you while visiting the gallery, which could greatly improve the overall visitation experience. However, each piece is accompanied by a decent information panel, describing where the piece comes from, how it was made and what it represents so you won't feel lost while viewing the various gifts.
In the end, this is a remarkable collection and rare opportunity to see a comprehensive body of outstanding Chinese works under one roof. You do have to compete with busloads of mainland Chinese tourists that come to visit but they usually stay for no more than 10-15 minutes before returning to their buses to depart. As such, you have moments of total seclusion as well when visiting the Handover Gifts museum. We love it when that happens, making one of our very favorite museum stops in Macau.
The Handover Gift Museum is located next to the Macau Art Museum (MAM), just a few minutes walk from the Sands Hotel on the Macau peninsula.
Written 25 May 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
leisurepleasure
Vancouver, Canada60 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
The Handover Gift Exhibition Gallery is on the 2nd floor. As each handover gift is an encapsulation of the unique artistic regional styles of the different provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of China, it warrants at least an extra visit to view all the 56 gifts properly especially as admission is free.
Written 28 July 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
K W T
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia593 contributions
Dec 2017 • Family
As the name of the museum suggests, it houses all the gifts from various provinces and cities in China to commemorate the return of Macau to the Chinese people as a Special Administrative Region (SAR). Entrance to this place is FREE, and you're welcome to take as many photos as you can. There are descriptions of the gifts in Chinese, Portuguese and English. As I was there after 3pm, there were no crowds, only a handful of Chinese tourist and some school kids on a field trip.
Written 1 December 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rinzilla
Bangkok, Thailand162 contributions
Dec 2016 • Friends
If you love art and want to see work of art and handcraft, you shouldn't miss this museum. The gifts offered by 56 ethnics all over China to commemorate the establishment of Macao as China's special administrative region. Each piece of gifts are amazing and represent each ethnic's artistic style.
Tips: no entrance fee. Close on Monday
Tips: no entrance fee. Close on Monday
Written 16 December 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
N K
Rishon Lezion, Israel2,321 contributions
Mar 2015 • Solo
Handover Gifts Museum is one of the best museums in Macau and a hidden gem of the city. Its main exhibit presents various art pieces given by Chinese provinces to Macau on the occasion of its handover from Portugal to China in 1999. It includes paintings, sculptures made of various materials, mosaics, carpets, and more. Each piece is unique and tells a story of the province which presented it. It's a very beautiful and unusual exposition I'd highly recommend it to everyone who visits Macau.
Written 6 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hanabanna23
Miami, FL343 contributions
Feb 2015 • Family
Visited this place twice in different years and I am still very much impressed by the museum pieces. This place is a real treasure for the artist. The place is full of unique Chinese collections of styles and artistic skills of the different regions in China. To celebrate the establishment of Macao Special Administrative Region, 56 Chinese ethnic groups gave their gifts to Macau. These wonderful gifts really shows the creative artistic skills and unique styles of the different ethnic groups in China. I will highly recommend this museum if there is enough time in Macau. There is no entrance fee for the visit. A lot of mailand tourist frequents the area but the place is spacious enough to accommodate the crowds.
Written 9 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nigel G
Singapore, Singapore8,657 contributions
Nov 2019 • Friends
Went to visit the art museum located next to this museum but was disappointed to find it was between exhibition set ups. The receptionist asked if I had seen the Handover Museum next door and mentioned that it also had an art collection.
I hadn’t so headed over. Entry was free and there were certainly lots of visitors, mostly I guessed from mainland China. Museum is spread over three levels and have an exhibition of gifts given to Macau by various provinces of China on its return to the motherland. Many beautiful art works on display with excellent layout.
There is a mix of conventional art work in one gallery - primarily contemporary with some modern with some excellent paintings of Macau and also of the HK - Macau bridge construction.
There are many large gifts in the other hall . Some of precious metal with stones, others of embroidered silk etc. A monumental sculpture from the Thai people of an elephant head and another from elsewhere of a temple. A wonder mixture and you can spend a couple of hours walking around here. A very pleasant museum to spend the afternoon.
I hadn’t so headed over. Entry was free and there were certainly lots of visitors, mostly I guessed from mainland China. Museum is spread over three levels and have an exhibition of gifts given to Macau by various provinces of China on its return to the motherland. Many beautiful art works on display with excellent layout.
There is a mix of conventional art work in one gallery - primarily contemporary with some modern with some excellent paintings of Macau and also of the HK - Macau bridge construction.
There are many large gifts in the other hall . Some of precious metal with stones, others of embroidered silk etc. A monumental sculpture from the Thai people of an elephant head and another from elsewhere of a temple. A wonder mixture and you can spend a couple of hours walking around here. A very pleasant museum to spend the afternoon.
Written 28 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pulmbubble
San Antonio, TX3,445 contributions
Nov 2019 • Friends
This is a nice museum to see different art which each state government sent to Macau for 1999. It’s entry free and good place to see different symbol of different in China. Great place to take a look.
Written 22 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChinmayHota
Bhubaneswar, India290 contributions
Nov 2015 • Family
This unique museum commemorates the historic handing over of Macau from Portuguese to Chinese as a Special Administrative Region in 1999. The museum displays the gifts offered to Macau by State Council of the People's republic of China and its provinces, municipalities and SAR, Hong Kong.
The gifts carry goodwill messages and feature the local flavor of their origin. The gifts have been chosen to display artistic ingenuity also. Overall the exhibition of the best artifacts from various regions lend a special charm to the museum, which should not be missed by the visitor to Macau.
The museum remains open from 10 am to 7 pm, with Monday off. Admission is free.
The gifts carry goodwill messages and feature the local flavor of their origin. The gifts have been chosen to display artistic ingenuity also. Overall the exhibition of the best artifacts from various regions lend a special charm to the museum, which should not be missed by the visitor to Macau.
The museum remains open from 10 am to 7 pm, with Monday off. Admission is free.
Written 9 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jackylei0210
Macau, China13 contributions
May 2015 • Family
As i am a sporty guy, i seldom go to the Macau Cultural Centre to watch the show. But some of my friends have their dancing show in there. As a result, i always go to there to watch their show. Besides, the government also arrange some education show for us to see. Therefore, i really always go to there. The most unforgettable is that one of my friends dancing showcase. It was really amazing as the size of the show is quiet enormous. And they also invite some of the Stars in Macau to help them in the show. In the end, i take a picture with my friends too. It is wonderful that Macau has such places to keep the culture and they will invite some outstanding foreign countries performance come to there also.
Written 21 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing