Handover of Macau

Witness History

BBC

History, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 20 November 2024

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In 1999, the small territory of Macau was handed back to China after centuries of Portuguese rule.

Lawyer and comedian Miguel Senna Fernandes was a member of the Macau Legislative Council and involved in the historic handover.

He tells Ashley Byrne the emotions he felt as he saw the Portuguese flag being taken down from the Government Palace.

A Made in Manchester production.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Chinese President Jiang Zemin shakes hands with Portuguese President Jorge Sampaio. Credit: Getty Images)

Transcript

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0:00.0	You are about to listen to a BBC podcast and I'd like to tell you a bit about what goes into making one.
0:06.5	I'm Sadata Sese, an assistant commissioner of podcasts for BBC Sounds.
0:11.1	I pull a lot of levers to support a diverse range of podcasts on all sorts of subjects,
0:16.0	relationships, identity, comedy, even one that mixes poetry, music and inner city life.
0:22.4	So one day I'll be helping host develop their ideas, the next fact-checking, a feature,
0:28.3	and the next looking at how a podcast connects with its audience.
0:32.3	And maybe that's you.
0:33.6	So if you like this podcast, check out some others on BBC Sounds.
0:43.1	Music So if you like this podcast, check out some others on BBC Sounds. Thank you for downloading the witness history podcast from the BBC World Service with me,
0:48.3	Ashley Byrne. And today I'm taking you back to 1999, a pivotal year for the small territory of Macau, when control was handed
0:56.9	over to China, ending centuries of Portuguese rule.
1:02.2	The Portuguese colony of Macau has been formally returned to Chinese control after almost 500
1:08.1	years. China's president, Zhang Zemin, extended his good wishes to what he
1:12.6	described as the Macau compatriots returning to the embrace of the motherland.
1:20.4	It was very emotional when I saw the Portuguese flag being taken off, at least at the governor's palace.
1:28.2	That's Miguel Senna Fernandez, a lawyer and comedian,
1:31.4	who at the time of the historic transition of power,
1:33.8	was a member of the Macau Legislative Council
1:36.3	and involved in the events marking the handover.
1:39.4	It was a very special moment.
1:42.0	So in the moments of the handol, I was witnessing history.
1:49.2	Macau is a small peninsula with a rich blend of Portuguese and Chinese cultures. The city thrived
	...

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