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Macau's history in hock at 2010 Expo

scene of the signing ceremony

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, presents Shanghai Expo mascot Haibao to Yang Baoyi, Macau's Expo preparation authority.

Bai Wenhua(left), chairman of Shanghai World Expo Land Holding Co, Ltd, shake hands with Yang Baoyi, Macau's Expo preparation authority, after signing the contract.

The Macau Special Administrative Region will create a "visual presentation" of the restoration of one of its most important cultural sites - the Tak Seng On Pawnshop - at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, representatives from the region said yesterday.

Tak Seng On Pawnshop is being presented as Macau's Urban Best Practice Area showcase, the region's officials said, as they signed a contract with Expo organizers in Shanghai.

Macau is keen to share its experiences with restoration and re-use of cultural relics during the 2010 World Expo. The Tak Seng project was a successful example of restoration, management and operation of cultural sites, Zhou Hanmin, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, said at the signing ceremony.

Tak Seng On Pawnshop was built in 1917 and was Macau's largest pawnshop in the first half of the 20th century. Its fortunes gradually declined until it was finally closed in 1993.

The special administrative government restored the old pawnshop in 2001 and turned it into a museum.

The facility has attracted more than 40,000 visitors since its opening in 2003.