The Seminar on "Macau: Gateway of East-West Cultural Exchange" was held in conjunction with the "Macau East-West Cultural Relics Exhibition" in Beijing in January 2001. Dr. Zhang Haipeng, the Director of the Academy of Social Sciences and Institute of Modern Chinese History presented the first paper. MSLF's Mr. Ambrose So, Professor K.C. Fok, Mr. Gary Ngai, and Dr. Christina Cheng participated in the seminar representing Macau. The papers that were presented at the seminar included topics such as Macau as a economic and cultural bridge between China and the Latin-speaking world; the development of cultural tourism in Macau; Macau as a part of China's historical past as well as China's projected future; and Macau's special historical role as a "Cultural Janus" and gateway through which ideas, science, commerce, and education passed in and out of China. The seminar was held in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition commemorating the 1st Anniversary of Macau's handover to China. The audience was primarily scholars from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.