Recasting memory and identity: The Barcelos rooster in Macau’s postcolonial narrative

This article examines the transformation of the Barcelos rooster from a Portuguese national emblem into a hybrid cultural symbol in postcolonial Macau. Originally associated with rural and Catholic values during Portugal’s New State (Estado Novo) regime, the rooster has been recontextualized following Macau’s handover to China in 1999, emerging as a symbol of Macau’s hybrid identity as a Special Administrative Region (SAR). Incorporated into tourism and branding strategies, the rooster exemplifies cultural adaptation and commodification processes. Drawing on theoretical frameworks of cultural memory, hybridity and material culture, this study underscores how Macau utilizes its colonial heritage to position itself as a cultural and economic bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Through ethnographic fieldwork between 2012 and 2024, the article analyses the rooster’s evolving role in tourism imagery while critically engaging with the selective appropriation of colonial legacies. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how historical symbols are reconfigured within postcolonial identity formations.